Brown Sugar Cake With Fresh Peaches

You might be wondering what this has to do with Real Estate?? Well really nothing except it doesnt take a gourmet kitchen to cook this. So moving along...I found this great cake while blog stalking a couple of weeks ago and finally decided to make it. WOW!! Is it GOOD!! I ate a small piece right after I made it and then had a piece the next day after it was refrigerated all night. I think I prefer it cold but it is all a matter of preference. TRY IT!! It is a great time of year to make it with Local peaches in season right now. Hope you enjoy!! Let me know...
Thanks to Makeandtakes.com for the recipe. Oh, and for the record, I used enough peaches to cover the whole cake on both layers and I also used my home-made peach jam I made last year.

Brown Sugar Cake with Fresh Peaches
by Lindsey Johnson

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk

Frosting and filling:
2-3 ripe, but firm peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup peach jam
Creamy Almond Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (For high altitude–375 degrees F.)

Grease and flour two 8″ or 9″ round baking pans* and line with parchment or waxed paper.

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening and sugar until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl down after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Only beat until combined. Remove bowl from mixer base and scrape the sides and bottom with a large silicone or rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the baking pans.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking after 30 minutes. The tops will be lightly golden and springy to the touch. (Insert a cake tester into the center–only a few moist crumbs should cling to the tester.)

Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Creamy Almond Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract, optional
about 2 Tbsp. heavy cream (or a few teaspoons milk)

Beat the butter at high speed with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the extracts (if using). Beat until light and fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar alternating with the cream (no more than 1-2 tsp. at a time), until you reach the desired texture. The frosting should be light and creamy.

Assembly:

Place one of the cooled cake layers on a serving platter. Spread half the frosting on the layer, arrange 2/3 of the sliced peaches over the frosting and spread 2/3 of the jam over the peaches. Top with second layer. Spread remaining frosting over the cake layer and top with the remaining peaches and jam.