Peach and Nectarine Cake with Cream Frosting

Peach and nectarine cake with cream frosting is a luscious summer treat. The combination of juicy peaches and nectarines nestled within a delicate and moist sponge, crowned by a silky and rich cream frosting, creates a dessert that’s a true ode to the essence of summer.

I love a good cake. It needs to be rich, moist and fruity. It needs to be worth all the calories. I don’t want to hide behind a healthy cake. I can eat a healthier dessert, but cake… cake needs to be the real deal.

I’m going to lie, this peach and nectarine cake with cream frosting is not a healthy option, but it’s a delicious one. Homemade jam brings freshness and creates absolute magic when you combine it with the moist peachy sponge. Ohh… even as I write this, I’m dreaming about one more slice of this treat.

It’s the perfect dessert to celebrate summer and those last long evenings with your family and loved ones. That being said, it’s also the ideal recipe to celebrate yourself! Sometimes a special occasion isn’t strictly necessary. What could be better than a delicious slice of sweet and rich summer dessert if we want to make the day special? Bliss.

Peach and Nectarine Cake: Why You Will Love It

I know this part of the post isn’t needed for this peach and nectarine cake, because if you saw the photos of the cake, you know you’re going to love it.

Although if you need some more convincing, here are a few reasons why this peach and nectarine cake is the best dessert you can possibly make:

• This cake is an ode to peaches and nectarines. These fruits are in season, and they are just bursting with flavour.
• Making the sponge is really easy. You just combine all the ingredients, mix everything together and bake. That’s it. No whipping, no heating, no nothing. Just mix and bake.
• This cake looks spectacular. The yellow and white combination just screams summer. Let’s leave chocolate cakes for autumn and winter, but in the summer months – make them colourful.
• Every single component in this cake creates a perfect balance. A soft and moist sponge builds the foundations. Homemade peach and nectarine jam brings freshness and cream cheese frosting creates the perfect silky shell.

Peach and Nectarine Cake: Recipe Variations

You can adapt this recipe to your needs and incorporate different flavours. Here are some options for substitutions:

• Peach and nectarine jam. You can go wild and crazy here. Use any stone fruit of your choice – apricots, plums, cherries or even mangos. All would work perfectly and create the most delicious dessert.
• Rum. You know me. It’s hard to resist not adding a splash of alcohol to my desserts. Alcohol evaporates and leaves just a subtle fragrance. However, you can skip this ingredient or swap it for bourbon, whisky, or anything else you fancy.
• Sponge. If you’re not feeling sure about this type of sponge and you’re not confident trying it out, you can stick to the classics – Victoria and Genoise sponges would work just as well.
• Cream cheese frosting. Personally, I’m not a fan of buttercream. It’s way too sweet for me so I love to use cream cheese for my frosting. Although, if you prefer classics, you can use any type of buttercream.

Peach and Nectarine Cake: Recipe Tips

I know that sometimes the idea of baking a cake can be intimidating. Especially when you check the recipe, and you spot 30+ steps! However, if you do some parts a day before (for example making the jam) it’s actually quite an easy recipe to follow.

But as always, I’ve got your back. Here are some tips for a picture-perfect cake:

1. I recommend preparing the jam and peach puree for your sponge a day before. It’ll save you a lot of time and your components will be completely cooled during assembling.
2. Do not over mix the batter for your sponge. This is the simplest but most important tip. If your ingredients are combined – stop mixing straightaway.
3. When you divide the batter between the cake pans, make sure both have the same amount. You can even use a kitchen scale to be precise.
4. When you assemble the cake, be sure all your cake parts are cooled down completely. Otherwise, your cake frosting will melt.
5. When it comes to decoration you can make it as professional or as simple as you want. You can also make a naked cake without frosting on the sides.

This is a true summer celebration, but if you’re looking for other delicious, fresh treats give these recipes a go:

Tropical Trifle with Mango and Passionfruit
Lemon Swiss Roll with Citrus Curd
No-Bake Mango Cheesecake
Jelly Cake with Watermelon and Cherries
Ricotta Cake with Cherries

Recipe

Ingredients

Peach and Nectarine Jam:
2 peaches
1 nectarine
50g sugar
2 limes (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon pectin

Sponge:
2 peaches
10g butter
50g brown sugar
50ml rum
500g plain flour
150g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
300ml milk
4 eggs
200ml vegetable oil
1 nectarine

Cream frosting:
250g double cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon stabiliser
500g cream cheese
1 lime zest

Method

Make the jam:

1. In a saucepan, add the diced peaches, nectarines (take the skin out), sugar, and lime juice with zest.
2. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, for about 20-25 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add the jam into the blender. Blitz until you get a smooth texture.
4. Add to the saucepan. Add the pectin and heat everything for 5 minutes, always stirring.
5. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

Make the sponge:

1. Cut the peaches and add them into a saucepan with butter, brown sugar and rum.
2. Sauté for 5 minutes over a medium heat until the peaches are soft.
3. Remove from the heat and add the peaches into a blender. Blitz until you get a smooth texture.
4. Let it cool completely.
5. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Spray two cake pans (I used these ones) with baking spray and add baking paper on the bottom.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
7. In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, oil, vanilla, and the prepared peach purée with rum.
8. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk everything together.
9. Divide the batter among the two prepared cake pans.
10. Bake for 40 minutes.
11. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans before taking the sponges out.

Make the frosting:

1. Gently whisk the double cream with the icing sugar and stabiliser.
2. Add the cream cheese with lime zest. Mix everything.
3. Leave the frosting in the fridge to set.

Arrange the cake:

1. Cut the cake sponge in half (horizontally).
2. Cut the peach into small pieces.
3. Add the prepared cream cheese frosting into a piping bag.
4. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and pipe a layer of frosting on the edges of the cake (like you’re creating a wall). Add the peaches and nectarine jam in the centre of the cake. Sprinkle some diced peach on top.
5. Place the next layer on top and repeat the steps.
6. Place the third sponge layer on top and repeat the steps.
7. Top the cake with the final layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cream frosting.
8. Leave the cake in the fridge for at least an hour and decorate it with slices of peaches and mint leaves.