Italian Desserts Recipes - Peach Cake (Torta di Pesche) Recipe

Ingredients                                     

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup unsalted (sweet)    butter

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 3 eggs, separated

• 450 g/1lb/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp salt

• 5 ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

• 120 ml/1/2 cup milk

• 250 ml/8 fl oz/3/4 cup peach jam (conserve) 

Icing:

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup granulated sugar

• 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup milk

• 150 g/5 oz/1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

• 100 g/4 oz/1 cup chopped mixed nuts

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Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg yolks and slowly add the flour and salt.

2. Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the milk and immediately add to the flour mixture. Lightly fold in the peach jam.

3. Stiffly whisk the egg whites and gently fold into the mixture. Spoon into two lined 23 cm/9 in round cake tins (pans).

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes. Turn out at once on to a cake rack. Cool completely.

5. Cook the  sugar and milk to the hard ball stage on a sugar thermometer or until a small spoonful of the mixture forms a hard ball when dropped into a cup of cold water.

6. Beat well and stir in the coconut, pineapple and nuts. Spread the icing between the two layers of cake and serve sliced.