Peach and Raspberry Cake

This is a really easy cake which can be served warm or cold. This recipe works beautifully and the cake melts in your mouth.

Serve it as a dessert with reduced-fat crème fraîche or as a cake.

Ingredients

Oil for greasing
1 x 400g can peach slices
in fruit juice (OR 4 fresh peaches)
125g raspberries
150g unsaturated fat spread
150g caster sugar
3 large eggs
2 x 5ml spoons vanilla essence
150g self-raising flour

Equipment

Weighing scales
22cm loose-bottomed or springform cake tin
Greaseproof paper (optional)
Can opener
Colander
2 x Small bowls
Table knife
Wooden spoon or electric whisk
Large mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Sieve
Metal spoon or spatula
Oven gloves
Cooling rack

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan or gas mark 5.
2. Grease the cake tin with a little oil or spread or use some greaseproof paper to line the bottom of the tin then grease the sides.
3. Open the can of peaches and drain off all the fruit juice (drain into a bowl and use the juice later – see top tips for how to use the leftover juice).
4. Wash the raspberries and place them in a small bowl.
5. Place the spread and sugar into a large bowl or mixer and beat until very soft and pale in colour.
6. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl and add to the spread mixture, beat in well and repeat with the other 2 eggs.
7. Beat in the vanilla essence.
8. Sift the flour into the bowl and gently fold into the creamed mixture with a metal spoon or spatula.
9. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the tin.
10. Arrange the sliced peaches and raspberries on top of the cake mixture.
11. Bake for 50 minutes, it will be a very moist cake but should be golden and well risen.
12. When cooked, leave to cool on a cooling tray, then turn out onto a plate and serve.

Skills used include:
Washing, weighing, sifting, creaming/beating, folding, spreading, baking and serving.

Top Tips

• Drain the peaches and raspberries well or they will add too much liquid to the cake.
• Sprinkle the finished cake with a little Demerara sugar or icing sugar before serving.
• This could also be served warm with some custard or reduced-fat crème fraîche.
• Use the leftover peach juice to make a smoothie. Invent your own smoothie or search our smoothie recipes on our website.

Something to try next time

• Try this recipe with 375g (prepared weight) of stoned plums, chopped apple or chopped rhubarb. You will need to add extra sugar to sweeten these fruits. Prepare the fruit, place in a plastic bag, add 50g of sugar and shake this together.
• If using apple, sprinkle with a little lemon juice (straight away once you have chopped the apple) to stop the flesh turning brown.

Prepare now, eat later

• You could weigh out your dried ingredients and store in airtight containers or plastic bags.
• Cover and store the cake in a cool place for up to 24 hours. Alternatively freeze for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost on a serving dish before eating cold. If you would like to eat it warm as a dessert, defrost the cake then heat in the oven at 170°C/150°C fan or gas mark 3 for 15–20 minutes.
• Freeze the cake in portions as above.