- Vegetarian
- Peanut free
- Sesame free
Forget the oven and try our peach and mascarpone fridge cake. Thanks to poached in-season peaches and creamy mascarpone, it’s a winner.
- Serves12
- Cook time15 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes, + 1 hour chilling & overnight setting time
Ingredients
- 7 peaches, halved, stoned
- 1 cup (250ml) dark rum
- 3 cups (660g) caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
- 500g mascarpone
- 3/4 cup (185ml) thickened cream
- 1 tbs icing sugar mixture
- 16 savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits)
Nutritional information
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
Place peach, rum, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla seeds and pod and 2 cups (500ml) water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low. Partially cover and cook for 10 mins or until peach is just tender. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Place in fridge for 1 hour to chill.Step 2
Use an electric mixer to whisk the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.Step 3
Line an 11cm x 24cm (base measurement) loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the sides to overhang.Step 4
Drain the peach mixture, reserving the poaching liquid. Place 8 peach halves on a clean work surface and use a small sharp knife to cut each half into 1cm-thick slices.Step 5
Place 2 cups (500ml) poaching liquid in a large bowl. Dip 1 biscuit into the poaching liquid and turn to coat. Repeat with 4 more biscuits. Arrange the biscuits crossways over the base of the prepared pan, trimming to fit. Spread 1¼ cups of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits. Top with half the peach slices, overlapping slightly. Spread a thin layer of remaining mascarpone mixture over peach slices. Continue layering with the remaining biscuits, reserved poaching liquid, mascarpone mixture and peach slices, finishing with biscuits. Lightly tap pan on work surface to settle the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to set.Step 6
Meanwhile, place 1 cup (250ml) remaining poaching liquid in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 mins or until syrup thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.Step 7
Turn the cake onto a serving platter. Remove plastic wrap. Cut remaining peach halves into wedges. Arrange over the cake and drizzle with syrup.
Serve with... thyme sprigs.
Poached peach fridge cake recipe
This prep-ahead peach cake recipe makes great use of fresh, in-season peaches and creates the most wonderful, moist cake. It’s a beautiful recipe for a peach cake that would make a special centrepiece dessert for your next long lunch, or to serve up for afternoon tea. Fridge cakes are fantastic for prepping ahead and require no baking, making them a lovely summertime sweet. Poaching peaches is easy and intensifies their flavour, which works perfectly with mascarpone. Slightly sharp mascarpone cuts nicely through the sweetness of poached peaches, with sponge finger biscuits adding texture to this easy peach cake.
How to choose peaches
Peaches are in season in Australia from October to April along with other stone fruits such as nectarines, apricots and plums. They are at their best in the warmer months, so it’s a great time to make peach cakes. The perfect fresh peach will have a sweet smell and be slightly soft; if the peach is firm to the touch, it’s not quite ready. Peaches should be plump and without bruises, as this can make the delicate flesh too soft and a little mushy. When not in season, a cake recipe with canned peaches will be just as much a crowd-pleaser and takes out the need for poaching.
How to poach peaches
To stone a peach, cut it around the seam then twist each half in opposite directions. If it doesn’t separate easily, use a small sharp knife to slice wedges from the peach, carefully cutting around the stone to remove it. Once your peaches are stoned, add the halves to a mixture of rum, caster sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and water, then bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until the peaches are tender. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and chill for 1 hour. The poaching liquid can be simmered further to make a lovely sticky syrup for this peach cake.
How to serve this peach fridge cake
Lining the loaf pan with plastic wrap makes it easy to turn out the peach cake when it’s chilled. Top your peach cake with reserved poached peaches cut into wedges and a good drizzle of syrup made by simmering some poaching liquid. Sprinkle with fresh thyme sprigs to add nice herby flavour and make your cake even prettier. This creamy fridge cake would be delightful with a nice cup of tea, or even a sweet, aromatic dessert wine for special occasions.
Now get cooking
Ready to try more peach cake recipes? Have a go at this stunning peach, raspberry and ricotta cake, or whip up a spelt and pecan peach cobbler to end your next Sunday lunch. This versatile stone fruit is also perfect for trifles, and this peach Melba trifle promises to wow the crowd. And why not try flexing your creativity with peaches and make this white peach and processo float, or these yummy peaches and cream ice blocks for hot summer days.
FAQs
Poached peach and mascarpone fridge cake
- Serves12
- Cook time15 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes, + 1 hour chilling & overnight setting time
Ingredients
- 7 peaches, halved, stoned
- 1 cup (250ml) dark rum
- 3 cups (660g) caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
- 500g mascarpone
- 3/4 cup (185ml) thickened cream
- 1 tbs icing sugar mixture
- 16 savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits)
Description
Forget the oven and try our peach and mascarpone fridge cake. Thanks to poached in-season peaches and creamy mascarpone, it’s a winner.
Method
Step 1
Place peach, rum, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla seeds and pod and 2 cups (500ml) water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low. Partially cover and cook for 10 mins or until peach is just tender. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Place in fridge for 1 hour to chill.Step 2
Use an electric mixer to whisk the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.Step 3
Line an 11cm x 24cm (base measurement) loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the sides to overhang.Step 4
Drain the peach mixture, reserving the poaching liquid. Place 8 peach halves on a clean work surface and use a small sharp knife to cut each half into 1cm-thick slices.Step 5
Place 2 cups (500ml) poaching liquid in a large bowl. Dip 1 biscuit into the poaching liquid and turn to coat. Repeat with 4 more biscuits. Arrange the biscuits crossways over the base of the prepared pan, trimming to fit. Spread 1¼ cups of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits. Top with half the peach slices, overlapping slightly. Spread a thin layer of remaining mascarpone mixture over peach slices. Continue layering with the remaining biscuits, reserved poaching liquid, mascarpone mixture and peach slices, finishing with biscuits. Lightly tap pan on work surface to settle the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to set.Step 6
Meanwhile, place 1 cup (250ml) remaining poaching liquid in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 mins or until syrup thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.Step 7
Turn the cake onto a serving platter. Remove plastic wrap. Cut remaining peach halves into wedges. Arrange over the cake and drizzle with syrup.
Serve with... thyme sprigs.