Vegan Peaches and Cream Layer Cake

Last week, I had the idea to make a peaches and cream layer cake. I admit I was inspired by some peach jam that I had just opened up that Eric's Dad sent home with us when we visited him in Michigan last fall.  He makes some of the best jams, and this peach jam tastes just like peach pie!  So I began to wonder what it would be like in a cake filling. I usually just go to the old raspberry or strawberry filling but a peach cake sounded amazing!  Also, I have never had peach cake, so I thought it would be fun to make!  This Vegan Peaches and Cream Layer Cake might look like it is time consuming but it was really pretty easy!

For the cake portion, I just wanted to make a vanilla cake so that it could serve as a blank (but delicious) palate for the peach flavors.  I thought about including some peach in the cake part but I ultimately decided on just vanilla so that the filling and frosting could shine. If you wanted it to have more peach flavor though, you could add about 1/4 cup peach powder (freeze dried peaches ground to powder, what I used in the frosting) included in the cake batter with the flour. I just used a simple vanilla cake recipe with flax eggs for the cake portion, it is really easy and pretty fool proof. I used whole wheat pastry flour for this, but if you preferred all purpose flour, or even cake flour (for an even lighter cake) you could use that, I just prefer the whole wheat for myself.

As far as the sweetener for the cake batter goes, I used maple sugar, but if you wanted a more white cake you could use a golden flax seed instead of brown, and a granulated sugar instead of the maple. I don't mind if my cake is a little darker in color because I used a little less processed ingredients, but I know it might matter to some people. The cakes smelled amazing while baking! I love the scent of vanilla cake, hence my blog name.  But I could not wait to make the frosting and include the filling and taste the finished product!

For the filling as I mentioned earlier I used Eric's Dad's peach jam.  It worked out perfectly in the cake, like a peach pie filling!  I made a simple vegan buttercream frosting for the cake as well, flavored with peach powder.  It is just freeze dried peaches ground to a fine powder and it has so much flavor!  Also, it tinted the frosting a pretty peach color so I didn't even have to use food coloring!  This cake was sooo delicious!  Soft and sweet scented with vanilla and fragrant peaches, the smooth rich buttercream the perfect thing to top it off with!  I know it is not peach season, but this seriously tastes like summer and we could use a bit of that!  If you are a peach fan, definitely give this Vegan Peaches and Cream Cake a try!

Vegan Peaches and Cream Layer Cake

Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple sugar or granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 minutes)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 cup oat milk (I used Oatly) or other plant based milk
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, I used Earth Balance (at room temperature)
• 3-4 Tbsp oat milk (I used Oatly, but you can use what you prefer), add 3 then if needed add another if frosting comes out too stiff
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup freeze dried peaches, blended in a blender until they are fine powder
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Filling:

• 1/3 cup peach jam

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 6 inch round cake pans with parchment on the bottom and oil the sides.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt and whisk to blend.
3. Add the flax eggs, avocado oil, oat milk, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for about a minute (or a little longer if doing it by hand with a whisk).
4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly between them.
5. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cakes are done in the center (you are able to insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs).
6. Remove from the oven and let cool 20 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans by cutting around the sides, placing a plate on top then inverting it and tapping on it.  Allow them then to cool completely once they are out of the pans.
7. To make the frosting, beat the butter with the milk and vanilla until fluffy.
8. Add the peach powder, and then powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and beat until completely mixed and light and fluffy (if the frosting is too stiff add that other Tbsp of milk).
9. When ready to frost, Place one cake layer on a plate, spread about 1/4 inch thick layer of the frosting over that, then pipe a frosting barrier around the edge of the cake so that the filling does not ooze (tall enough so that it will be thicker than the filling).
10. Spoon the jam into the middle of it and spread out evenly to the barrier frosting.  Place the next cake layer on top.
11. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake evenly, then place the rest of the frosting in a pastry bag and use it to decorate the top.  This frosting recipe makes enough that you should be able to do some generous piping decorations on top, because I like a lot of frosting!
12. Serve the cake and enjoy!

Notes:

If you would like to make a 9 inch round cake, double the entire recipe, and bake it in two 9 inch round pans, increasing the baking time slightly until the cakes are baked through about 30-35 minutes.