Tag: Peaches

Sponge Cake with Peaches

  • This cake is loosely based on one I made with pears.
  • However rather than use fresh peaches – I used tinned peaches.
  • My peaches were in syrup – but one in juice should also be fine (but not tested).
  • This sponge is made with sunflower oil and is very easy to make.

Ingredients

  • Tin of peaches – drained
  • *
  • 230g of plain flour
  • ½ tablespoon of baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 125ml of sunflower oil
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • *
  • Icing Sugar to dredge – optional

Method

  • Pre-heat oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Use a 22cm loose bottom tin with a cake liner – (like a huge bun case).
  • Chop the peaches into small chunks.
  • Leave whilst you prepare the cake mixture.
    *
  • In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In another bowl whisk the oil, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs until they are thoroughly mixed.
  • Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and mix thoroughly.
  • Place half the cake batter into the cooking tin.
  • Place half the peaches on top of the cake batter.
  • Cover with the rest of the cake batter.
  • Place the rest of the peaches evenly over the surface of the cake.
  • Bake for 60 – 65 minutes – cover and maybe another another 10 minutes if not done.
  • Leave to cool in the tin before turning it out.
  • *
  • Dredge with icing sugar when serving – optional.
  • Served on Royal Doulton – Sonnet  and Duchess – Bramble Rose tea plates
  • *
  • I tried this out also in a rectangular tin – 26 x 21cms.
  • The batter was poured into the tin and the peaches all put on the top.
  • This took 40 – 45 minutes to cook – check after 35 minutes and cover with baking paper if necessary.

Tort Melba – Fat Free Sponge

  • This tort – layer cake – mimics  a pêche melba – peach melba dessert .
  • It is a recipe for a fat free sponge cake, sandwiched with a filling made from yoghurt cheese or cream cheese and puréed tinned peaches plus a thick raspberry sauce.
  • I used an English quick style version of the sponge cake.

Ingredients -Fat Free sponge

  • 4 eggs
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 150g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder

Method – Fat Free sponge

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C
  • Grease and line the base of  two 18cm diameter baking tins.
  • In a bowl whisk the eggs and caster sugar until they are pale and creamy.
  • Sift the flour and the baking powder together.
  • Gently fold in the flour.
  • Pour the mixture into the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Ingredients -Filling

  • Tin of peaches
  • 200g of yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 1-2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Method – Filling

  • Drain the peaches from the juice/syrup.
  • Save the juice.
  • Chop the peaches and then purée them.
  • Mix together the yoghurt cheese and the puréed peaches.
  • Add the sugar – do not make it too sweet.

Ingredients – Raspberry Sauce

  • 100g of raspberry jam
  • 50ml of water

Method – Raspberry Sauce

  • Put the jam and water into a small saucepan.
  • Heat gently and stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Heat until the sauce is thick and smooth.
  • Leave to cool.

Assembling the cake

  • Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate or stand.
  • Prick the cake with a wooden skewer.
  • Sprinkle half the peach juice over the cake.
  • *
  • Spread half the raspberry sauce over the cake.
  • Spread the peach filling on the cake. (You might not need all of it)
  • Drizzle the rest of the raspberry sauce on the filling.
  • *
  • Prick the other cake with a wooden skewer.
  • Place the second cake on top.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the peach juice over the cake.
  • *
  • Dust with icing sugar before serving.
  • Greenway Hostess tea plate by John Russell
    1960 – 1979

Note

  • There is more than enough filling with this size cake.
  • You might try using some to slightly cover the sides of the cake as well.
  • This modern spreading of the icing is called “semi-naked”.

Tort Melba – Sponge

  • This tort is based on a pêche melba – peach melba dessert.
  • This is a recipe for a large sponge cake, sandwiched with a filling made from yoghurt cheese or cream cheese and chopped tinned peaches plus a thick raspberry sauce.

Sponge Cake

  • Bake two  creamed sponge cakes –
  • Using 4 eggs and equal weights of butter, caster sugar and plain flour plus 2½ teaspoons of baking powder.
  • Bake in 2 x 21 cm anodised baking tins.
  • Leave to go cold completely.

Ingredients – Icing

  • 200g yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 3-4 tablespoons of  icing sugar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence
  • *
  • Peaches drained from a can – chopped
  • *
  • Peach juice from the tin.

Method – Icing

  • Add the vanilla essence to the yoghurt cheese.
  • Add the icing sugar bit by bit to the yoghurt cheese until you get the desired sweetness.
  • This does not want to be too sweet.
  • Mix in the chopped peaches
  • *
  • Icing sugar to dust

Ingredients – Sauce

  • 100g of raspberry jam
  • 50ml of water

Method – Sauce

  • Put the jam and water into a small saucepan.
  • Heat gently and stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Heat until the sauce is thick and smooth.
  • Leave to cool.

Assembling the cake

  • Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate or stand.
  • Prick the cake with a wooden skewer.
  • Sprinkle half the peach juice over the cake.
  • *
  • Spread half the raspberry sauce over the cake.
  • Spread the peach filling on the cake.
  • Drizzle the rest of the raspberry sauce on the filling.
  • *
  • Prick the other cake with a wooden skewer.
  • Place the second cake on top of the filling.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the peach juice over the cake.
  • *
  • Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Duchess – Bramble Rose tea plates from the 1960s

Options

  • You could make more filling and slightly cover the sides of the cake – semi-naked.
  • You could make more filling and ice the top of the cake as well.

Tort Melba – Meringue

  • A Polish lady that I had not seen for many years came to visit me.
  • We sat in the garden chatting over coffee and cake.
  • She mentioned a cake she had not had for many years – Tort Melba.
  • She told me it was based around Pêche Melba – Peach Melba.
  • However she could not remember the recipe.
  • I said I would look the recipe up and make it for her.
  • *
  • Recipes used peaches, raspberry sauce and instead of vanilla ice cream a vanilla flavoured yoghurt cheese or cream cheese.
  • *
  • I found there are 3 types:
  • *
  • A meringue version –  tort bezowy – recipe below.
  • *
  • Several versions used two rounds of meringue sandwiched together.
  • It is easier to make a nest (Pavlova style) and place the fillings in that.
  • *
  • A sponge cake version –  2 will be posted soon.
  • A layered jelly version – I tried several versions but was not happy with any of the results.

Ingredients – Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of potato flour or cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method

  • Use the loose base of a baking tin 24cm in diameter.
  • Lightly grease the circle.
  • Cut a 24cm circle of greaseproof and stick it on the metal circle.
  • Place the circle on a large baking tray – one without sides is best.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM1 – 140°C.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  • Add the sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • Fold in the potato or corn flour, the vinegar and vanilla essence.
  • Using up to ½ of the mixture cover the circle on the tin.
  • Using the rest of the meringue put spoonfuls around the edge.
  • Bake for 80 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for 20 minutes.
  • Take out and leave to cool completely before filling.
  • *
  • Place the yoghurt cheese filling in the centre of the meringue nest.
  • Add the chopped peaches.
  • Drizzle the raspberry sauce over the top. 

Ingredient – Filling

  • 200g yoghurt cheese, curd cheese or cream cheese
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of icing sugar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence
  • *
  • 1 tin of peaches, drained and chopped
  • *
  • Raspberry sauce made with 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam and 1 tablespoon of water – heated together for a few minutes and cooled.

Royal Doulton – Counterpoint tea plates – 1973 – 1987

Yoghurt Desserts

  • These desserts are similar to my twaróg desserts. 
  • They are make with packet jellies with the addition of yoghurt.
  • The more yoghurt you add the softer the mixture will be.
  • The variations are endless depending on the jelly flavour.
  • Topping and sauces can also be varied.
  • Leave the mixture to set in a large bowl and then put scoops into individual serving dishes.

Lemon Version

Ingredients

  • 1 packet of lemon jelly
  • 250 – 400ml of yoghurt
  • Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
  • *
  • Toppings
  • Bottled blackcurrants – drained
  • *
  • Juice from the bottled blackcurrants
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons of potato or corn flour

Method

  • Make up 500ml of lemon jelly as per the packet instructions.
  • Add the lemon juice and the rind.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Whisk in the yoghurt and mix till all is blended in.
  • Leave to set in the fridge.
  • Place scoops into individual glasses.
  • *
  • Make a sauce with the blackcurrant juice and the potato or corn flour.
  • Mixed in and then heat, stirring till it thickens.

Blackcurrant version

Ingredients

  • 1 packet of blackcurrant jelly
  • 250 – 400ml of yoghurt
  • *
  • Toppings
  • Chopped tinned peaches
  • Sauce made from raspberry jam and water

Method

  • Make up 500ml of blackcurrant jelly as per the packet instructions.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Whisk in the yoghurt and mix till all is blended in.
  • Leave to set in the fridge.
  • Place scoops into individual glasses.
  • Add chopped peaches.
  • Heat around 80g of raspberry jam with some water to make a thick sauce.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Pour over the peaches.