Michelle Palmer’s Peaches and Cream Cake.
Peaches are in! Shopping at our local Farmers Market with Minton Farm for many, many years. My very dear friend and farmer Marcia Litsinger (I call her Mother Earth Nevada) requested peaches for her birthday cake.
Marcia has been my farm mentor forever. She has been teaching me about local organic produce and how to farm for as long as I can remember. Her husband Steve and her taught a hoop building class on my property many years ago allowing me to grow some beautiful produce with a Nevada producer certification.
As with many stone fruits, peaches originated in China. It is in the Rosaceae, or Rose, family; genus species Prunus Persica. From China this delectable fruit spread to Persia, where it was widely cultivated. Alexander the Great furthered its spread into Europe — paintings of peaches were even found on the walls of Herculaneum, preserved despite the destruction of Vesuvius. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers brought it to the Americas and in the 17th century it was introduced to England and France. It was widely popular and in the Victorian era was served wrapped in a fine napkin as a dessert. Peaches were planted all along the East Coast of the United States by the 18th century, though commercial production of peaches in America took a bit longer, not really beginning until the 19th century. California is now the leading producer of peaches in the United States.
Ancient Romans referred to peaches as malum persicum - the “Persian Apple.” Thomas Jefferson grew peaches at Monticello.
In Ancient China, the peach was a favorite food of emperors and kings - thought to increase longevity and ward off evil spirits. It is now associated with wishes for a long, healthy life and friendship.
I have made this cake for probably three decades if not more.
Peaches and Cream Cake
Your favorite 2 layer yellow or white cake in any shape
1 farm fresh peach, thinly sliced
½ cup peach preserves (I used Linda Marron’s Pineapple/Apricot)
1 shot peach Schnapps
Swiss Buttercream Icing:
2 1/2 cups (496g) fine granulated sugar
1 cup (226g, 6 large) egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
64 tablespoons (908g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, at least 65 degrees.
In a large heatproof mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together (briefly) the sugar, egg whites, and salt.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture measures 161 degrees on a digital thermometer.
Remove the bowl from the heat, and beat the meringue with your mixer's whisk attachment until stiff.
When meringue is cool to touch on bowl. With the mixer running, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Make sure each portion of butter is completely incorporated before adding the next.
Sprinkle lightly peach Schnapps on top each layer of cake, and then gently spread a thin layer of preserves on top, layer thinly sliced peach on top of preserves followed by Swiss buttercream (using a piping bag works best). Assemble cake and frost with remaining Swiss Buttercream. Decorate with star tip #4B and remaining sliced peaches. Pull your artist out and use your imagination to create your signature dessert that will be requested for decades. Always made with love!
Michelle Palmer is executive chef at Grizzly Ranch Golf Club and owner of Absolutely Michelle’s Chef-for-Hire.