As the virus continues to wreak havoc, it is becoming increasingly likely that Gordon and I will be unable to return to Australia this year. It seems appropriate, then, to write about a cake inspired by our adopted antipodean homeland. Well, not Australia itself but one of its great women, Dame Nellie Melba. Nellie was an operatic soprano and was the first Australian classical musician to receive international acclaim. She used that success to fundraise during WWI and gave back to the operatic community by teaching at the Melbourne Conservatorium. She is immortalised on the Australian $100 bill.
So why am I prattling on about about an early twentieth century opera singer? Peach Melba. You know that dessert of vanilla ice cream, peaches and raspberries? I first came across it as a waitress at Smitty's Pancake House where a peach Melba waffle was on the breakfast menu (dessert for breakfast, yes please!). Nearly 30 years after serving my first peach melba waffle, I've learned that the dessert was invented at the Savoy Hotel in London in honour of Dame Nellie Melba.
This version of peach Melba replaces the vanilla ice cream with moist vanilla cake and uses homemade bourbon peach jam and raspberry jam for filling. I hope Nellie might approve! The recipe is based on a peach ricotta cake from halfbakedharvest.com. I couldn't find ricotta in our local grocery store, so used yogurt rather than ricotta, but I suspect the ricotta version might turn out even more moist. I'll try that next go round!
The peach jam is dead easy to make. I used canned peach slices, but frozen or fresh should work just as well. If using fresh peaches I would blanch and peal them first. The buttercream is made with browned butter. This step adds a bit of time to the process, but the result is so worth it, adding a wonderful shortbread-esque flavour to butter.
If you'd like to receive updates on when new recipes are posted, click here to subscribe.
Happy baking!
PEACH MELBA MINI-CAKE WITH BROWNED BUTTER BUTTERCREAM
makes 2 mini-cakes
THE CAKE
1¼ cup (150g) flour
⅓ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup buttermilk (1 tsp lemon juice in regular milk works, too!)
⅓ cup oil
⅓ cup plain, full fat yogurt
⅔ cup white sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 175C (350F). Grease one 8" round cake pan and line bottom with baking paper.
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
Beat buttermilk, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla on medium for 2-3 minutes. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
Mix in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Scrape sides down and mix again for no more than 30 seconds.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool fully. Remove baking paper.
PEACH BOURBON JAM
1 cup fresh, frozen or canned peach slices
1½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon bourbon
Place peaches and sugar in a small sauce pan cook over high heat. Bring to boil. Mash with a potato masher and continue to cook for 5-8 minutes, until reduced by a third. Stir in bourbon and set aside to cool.
BROWNED BUTTER BUTTERCREAM
½ cup (113g) butter at room temperature
2½ tablespoons (20g) cream cheese or mascarpone, softened
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon vanilla
Divide the butter into ⅓ and ⅔. Place the ⅔ bit in a small saucepan, melt butter and continue to cook over medium heat until the small flecks of milk solids are browned. Immediately transfer to a heat safe bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
Add remaining butter, cream cheese and icing sugar and beat well, until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix well.
ASSEMBLY
Place cake on a cutting board and create mini-cake layers by cutting 4 circles. Depending on the size of your cutter, you will need to go quite close to the edge to get the four. If your cake hasn't baked flat, use a bread knife to level the tops of the layers. Offcuts can be eaten with any leftover peach jam.
Place one layer, bottom side down, on a plate and cover the top with a thin layer of raspberry jam and a thick layer of bourbon peach jam. Top with a second layer, bottom-side up. Repeat with other two layers to make a second cake.
Crumb coat with a thin layer of buttercream and place in fridge for 15 minutes. Frost with a thicker layer of buttercream and decorate as desired.
Store in fridge, but serve at room temperature.
Comments