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Fruity Peach Melba Cake with a Light Sponge

Prep
20 min
Bake
25 min
Total
45 min
Makes
14 slices

Ingredients

Sponge

  • 3large eggsRoom temperature
  • ½ cup plus 1 tbsp110 ggranulated sugar
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 1 tsplemon pasteOptional; or lemon juice
  • 1 cup120 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • ½ tspbaking powder½ tsp = 2 g. German baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US and the UK use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.

Filling

  • 1 canpeaches
  • 7 oz200 graspberriesFresh
  • 2 ⅔ cups600 gcream cheeseRoom temperature. A soft, full-fat fresh cheese. In the US use full-fat cream cheese; in the UK, full-fat soft cheese.
  • 1 ⅔ cups400 mlheavy creamIce-cold. German cream for whipping has about 30 to 32 percent fat. In the US use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; in the UK, whipping cream (double cream also works but whips faster, so watch it).
  • 6 tbsp80 ggranulated sugar
  • 10 sheetsgelatinGerman recipes usually mean gelatin sheets of about 1.7 g each. In the US use unflavored powdered gelatin, about ½ tsp (1.7 g) per sheet, bloomed in cold water; in the UK, leaf gelatine, weighed (about 1.7 g per German sheet), or powdered gelatine.
  • 3 tbspraspberry jamIn the US use jam or preserves (seedless if you want a smooth spread); in the UK, jam (seedless if you want a smooth spread).

Decoration

  • 1 handfulraspberries
  • 1 handfulpeach slices
  • 1 tbsppistachioschopped
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp200 mlheavy creamIce-cold
  • 1 tbspgranulated sugar
  • 1 packetwhipped cream stabilizer1 packet = 8 g. A packet of modified starch and sugar that keeps whipped cream firm; one packet is used for about 1 cup (250 ml) of cream. In the US use whipped cream stabilizer powder (sold online and in some baking aisles), or about 1 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder per cup of cream; in the UK, cream stabiliser powder (sold online), or a spoonful of mascarpone whipped in with the cream.
  • 1 sheetgelatin
  • ⅔ cup200 gseedless fruit spreadRaspberry. A smooth fruit spread sold under this name in Germany, used like a seedless jam. In the US and the UK use seedless raspberry jam.

Method

Sponge

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C) convection (fan). Line the bottom of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan with parchment paper.

  2. Beat the eggs with the sugar, salt & lemon paste for 10 minutes. Then fold in the flour & baking powder.

  3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until golden. After baking, turn the pan upside down onto a wire rack and let the sponge cool completely in the pan, upside down.

  4. Release the sponge from the pan and simply cut it in half horizontally to make 2 layers.

Filling

  1. Drain the peaches and save the juice. Cut the peaches into cubes.

  2. Wash the raspberries and halve them if you like.

  3. Soak the gelatin in cold water.

  4. Stir the cream cheese until smooth, add the sugar and mix it in. Add the cream and whip everything until stiff.

  5. Take the gelatin out of the water, melt it in the microwave and stir in a splash of peach juice. Now quickly stir the gelatin into the cream mixture.

  6. Divide the filling in half. Add the diced peaches to one half and the raspberries to the other half.

  7. Set the springform ring around one of the sponge layers, soak the layer with some peach juice, then spread the peach filling on top and cover with the second layer. Spread some of the jam on the second layer and cover it with the raspberry cream. Let the cake set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Decoration

  1. Soak the gelatin in cold water, then melt it in the microwave and stir it into the seedless fruit spread.

  2. Spread the fruit spread mixture over the cake and let it set in the fridge for another 30 minutes.

  3. Release the cake from the pan.

  4. Whip the cream with the whipped cream stabilizer and sugar, pipe it on top with a piping bag and decorate with raspberries, peaches & pistachios.

From German Pastry Chef. Full recipe with photos: germanpastrychef.com/recipes/peach-melba/