Sweet goodness from the past is transformed into something fresh and new with the Good Luck Peach Cake. Made with fresh peaches, loaded with lusciousness AND happiness, it was re-created from vintage recipes using peaches for their fresh harvest flavor as well as for their symbol of harmony.  This cake is also a Remembrance Cake honoring the celebration of life. We offer it here step-by-step so that you may bring a heritage cake to a special potluck affair or so that you may carry on the fine custom of baking a special Funeral Cake for family and friends bonded together to share a meal following a funeral, memorial event or celebration of life service.

Why did we choose fresh peaches for this cake? We developed this cake by scouring shelves of old cookbooks in search of cake recipes using fresh bits of fruit in the batter, like fresh apple cake and carrot cake. We starting off our testing with a way-old-fashioned country carrot cake along the lines that Grandma made — the kind that is moist-to-the-extreme, and dark and sweet. But, instead of using grated carrots, we grated peaches into the batter. We chose fresh peaches as the fruit for this cake because the peach is considered an ancient charm and the divine fruit of the gods. The peach relates to happiness, luck and  immortality in Chinese mythology and tradition AND plays an interesting role in Taoist philosophical discussions. Now ALL THAT seems right for a cake that is meant as a gesture of love and luck and as a reverent symbol of life.

What the heck does perfume have to do with this cake?  We were inspired by the great Perfumer, Christope Laudamiel, and his philosophy of adding ingredients (albeit, to perfume) that are never to be recognized individually but appreciated, nevertheless, in the context of the whole creation. Check out this fascinating video-taped discussion by Mr. Laudamiel on How We Sense Scents. So…, in the context of cake, we decided to add a modern variation to these old-fashioned recipes by using small quantities each of very finely chopped: palm dates (Why? Because they’re ancient…and for their sweet caramel taste). We also added finely chopped sweet coconut, white chocolate and almonds to brighten and enhance the flavors in this rich cake. We switched-out the heavy oils used in the older recipes to sunflower oil and canola oil (and reduced the quantity of oil, believe it or not). Although there is a good deal of oil in this cake, the long, slow baking process will lighten it a bit (as well as the small slice you will serve to each of your guests). Because this is a rich cake, you will find that a smaller (special) slice is quite satisfying.

The cake can be served with a bit of Vintage Sour Cream Vanilla Frosting (see recipe below) or sprinkled with powdered sugar, although it may be best without any topping or with just a dollop of cold sweetened whipped cream. It travels easily in a cake carrier (or even in its baking tube pan, with the outer cover removed at serving time) and can be pre-sliced for serving with the frosting set out next to the cake in a bowl to be spooned onto cake slices as desired.

Slow Cooking Warning: This is a gift-of-time cake with some advance chopping and grating required.  The cake takes an hour and a half to bake and another good hour to cool — but the cake doesn’t even require a mixer so break out your wooden spoons and let’s have a go! The vintage frosting (which does require a mixer) is rich and sweet and creamy (so go light with it).  It  whips up fast and furious into a silky dream – but should be chilled for an hour before serving.

Thank you for joining me on this endeavor.

Hope you enjoy!

Leslie

Recipe note:
t=teaspoon
T=Tablespoon
c=cup

Tools Needed for The Good Luck Peach Cake:
Tube Pan (aka Angel Food pan, tall round metal pan with a tube up the center leaving a hole in the cake)
Cooking spray
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Fork (for beating eggs)
Small bowl (for 3 eggs)
3 Large bowls (for dry ingredients, grated peaches and batter)
Grater (for grating peaches)
Small plate for (for 1 diced peach)
Measuring spoons and cups
Basting brush (optional as needed for basting top of cake with butter)

Ingredients for The Good Luck Peach Cake:
1/2 c white chocolate chips to produce 1/3 c finely chopped white chocolate chips, finely chopped*
1/3 c dates, pitted, finely chopped (about 6 whole dates)*
1/2 c sweetened coconut flakes to produce 1/3 c finely chopped coconut flakes*
1/2 c blanched sliced almonds to produce 1/3 c finely chopped almonds*
3 c cake flour
2-1/2 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
3 c grated fresh peaches (about 5 peaches, including juice and including 1 peach diced into small bits)
3 extra-large eggs
2 t vanilla extract, fine quality
1 c sunflower oil
1/3 c canola oil
2 T unsalted butter to brush top of cake (optional, as needed)
*Note: You may require a little more or less of the whole ingredient to achieve the finely ground quantity

Cake Baking Directions:
Prepare a tube pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
Set oven rack to center position and turn oven to 350 degrees.

Finely chop in a mini food processor or by hand:
1/2 c white chocolate chips to produce 1/3 c white chocolate chips.

Chopping results for white chocolate…little bits of white chocolate equal to 1/3 cup…

Finely chop in a small food processor or chop by hand:
6 pitted whole dates to produce 1/3 c finely chopped dates
Note: Even if people don’t think they’ll like dates, they will love them when they are finely chopped and mixed throughout the cake.  Just throw the dates into a food processor (or chop into fine bits by hand but be patient because they are sweet and sticky)…

It is important to get the dates chopped quite nicely to almost disappear within the cake (Photo note: This photo shows a close-up mini food processor so the date bits are much smaller in “real life”):

Finely chop in a small food processor or by hand:
1/2 c blanched almonds to produce 1/3 c finely chopped almonds

White almonds finely ground (in a mini food processor)…

Finely chop in a small food processor or by hand:
1/2 c sweetened coconut flakes to produce 1/3 c finely chopped coconut flakes

In a large bowl, whisk together to fully incorporate:
3 c cake flour
2-1/2 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Whisk white chocolate bits, chopped dates, chopped almonds and chopped coconut into the dry ingredients to fully incorporate (making sure the dates are fully separated and coated with flour). Wash your hands and use your fingers, it’s okay.

Using a small paring knife, peel and dice on a small plate:
1 large fresh peach

Photo note: The peach slices shown here on the side of the plate will soon be diced…

Peel and grate into a bowl (no need to de-seed the pit):
about 4 large peaches (including juice) to achieve 3 c peaches and juice
Special juiciness note: This cake was made a number of times for testing purposes with peaches that were in various stages of ripeness. The following 2 photos show ripe peaches (which are just fine, although they produce a good lot of juice and the cake may need to be baked longer because of the additional liquid). We also tried this recipe using less-ripe peaches (firm peaches that are a little too un-ripe to enjoy eating as a snack), which we think works better for this cake)…but use what you prefer or what is available to you.

Ripe peaches in their juice (note: photo shows a very large 10-cup measuring bowl)…

You may also use (and we recommend)  firm (less-ripe) peaches that will grate similar to grated potatoes)…

Crack into a small bowl:
3 extra-large fresh eggs

Beat the eggs gently with a fork…

Add to the bowl of grated and diced peaches with juice and stir with a wooden spoon:
2 t vanilla extract, fine quality
1 c sunflower oil
1/3 c canola oil
the prepared beaten eggs

Mix the dry ingredients in portions into the batter using a wooden spoon…

Blend the batter using a wooden spoon to stir until fully incorporated (about 30 to 50 strokes).

Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan…

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes, checking for doneness starting at 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Special note on cooking time: This cake will test clean at about 1 hour and 15 minutes using a bamboo skewer or metal skewer, however, to reduce the moisture level in the cake and to create a darker cake, we recommend baking it longer — for an additional 15 minutes for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Although the top may need buttering, the cake will remain very moist. Variations can occur due to the amount of peach juice and varying oven temperatures, however, with various tests using more or less peach juice and more or less ripeness in the peaches, this 1 hour and 30 minute bake time worked well. To ensure a perfect cake for your peaches, please check your cake starting at 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool it on the counter in the pan for about 10 minutes.

Remove the outer tube pan cover to cool the cake thoroughly to room temperature (about an hour for complete cooling).

Because this cake bakes so long in the oven, please check the top of the cake for softness. With the various potential for peach juice variations, if you find the top of the cake is hard to the touch, brush the top of the cake with a bit of room temperature or melted unsalted butter (2 T, using a pastry or other brush) to keep it nice and moist. You can do this while the cake is still warm so that the butter soaks in. It also adds a nice glow to the cake.

 

Vintage Sour Cream Vanilla Frosting:

Tools Need for Frosting:
Small bowl (for bringing butter to room temperature)
Electric Mixer
Medium deep bowl (for frosting)
Measuring cups and spoons
Spatula or wooden spoon

Ingredients for Frosting:
3-3/4 c (1 lb) powdered sugar
1/2 c sour cream (not low-fat)
1 t vanilla extract, fine quality
1/4 t Kosher salt
1/4 c unsalted butter (1/2 cube), room temperature

Frosting Directions:

Bring to room temperature (do not melt) by placing in microwave for a few seconds:
1/4 c unsalted butter (1/2 cube)

Combine in mixing bowl and beat on low increasing to high-speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy:
3-3/4 c (1 lb) powdered sugar
1/2 c sour cream
1 t vanilla extract, fine quality
1/4 t salt
the room temperature butter

A beautiful silky smooth vintage frosting…

The frosting is ready for refrigeration. It is best chilled for 1 hour before using.

Contrary to its sour name, this frosting is very sweet and rich…so just a little for each slice is best). Because it is so rich, this frosting is not meant to cover the entire cake.

Serving the Cake:

The cake can be served with the frosting in the center (this photo shows frosting dolloped over the top of the tube pan whose center hole is covered with aluminum foil) but removing the tube pan and letting the frosting dribble down the center hole is recommended…

The cake is ready to serve your guests…

Close up showing the cake with a few slices cut away and the frosting drizzled down the top center opening…

A slice of Good Luck Cake for your lucky guests served on my favorite vintage cut-out plate…

A lovely and respectful slice of this fresh peach cake served as a Remembrance Cake for your loved ones…

Thank you for joining us! Let us know what you think in the comments section.

I hope you’ll follow us on Facebook!

Best!

Leslie