Peach-Buttermilk Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¹⁄₃ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose fl our
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup thawed frozen whole buttermilk
- 1 cup chopped fresh peaches
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh peach slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Reduce mixer speed to medium; add eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chopped peaches on top.
- Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Spread Swiss Meringue Buttercream on top of cooled cake as desired, and garnish with peach slices, if desired.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, and salt. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and cook, whisking constantly, until sugar dissolves and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°.
- Carefully return bowl to stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat at high speed until white and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes.
- With mixer on medium speed, add butter, one cube at a time, to meringue, beating until combined after each addition. (Mixture may look curdled, but just keep mixing.) Beat at high speed for 10 minutes.
- Add vanilla to buttercream, and beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat at low speed for 1 minute to remove any air.
