Peaches & Cream Cake

Amanda's Birthday was one of the summer birthdays and I wanted to create something light and fruity. Unfortunately I was also crunched for time, so I pulled out a recipe that someone from work recommended to me. It is a cake recipe based on a cake mix, which I am generally against. I am a control freak and like to know of all the ingredients that go into cakes. Additionally, I try to scale back on sugar whenever I can. However, this cake turned out to be moist, delicious and not to sweet. It was such a hit that I made it again for my brother's birthday later that fall. My family really enjoyed it, which says a lot, since they generally do not enjoy very sweet desserts. Also, one last sidenote: This is an easy, introductory cake for someone who wants to try their hand at baking.

Peaches & Cream Cake
adapted from Anne Byrn, "The Cake Mix Doctor"

Ingredients:
* vegetable shortening, for greasing cake pans
* flour, for dusting cake pans
* 1 can (29 oz) peach halves, drained and syrup reserved
* 1 pkg yellow cake mix
* 8 tbsp butter, melted
* 4 eggs
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
* Fresh Whipped Cream (recipe to follow)

Directions:
01. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
02. Grease two 9" cake pans with vegetable shortening; dust with flour; shake out excess flour.
03. Place 8 peach halves in a food processor fitted with steel blades; process until smooth.
04. Reserve 3/4 cup peach syrup and the rest of the peach halves.
05. Place cake mix & melted butter in a mixing bowl; mix on low speed, adding one egg at a time.
06. Add peach puree; add vanilla extract; mix on high for 2-3 minutes.
07. Divide batter into both cake pans evenly.
08. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out dry.
09. Remove pans from oven; cool for 10 minutes.
10. Remove cakes from the pan; poke holes with toothpick into cake while warm.
11. Drizzle 1/4 cup of reserved syrup juices on each cake; let cool completely.

Fresh Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 pkg Dr. Oetke's Vanilla Sugar
* 1/4 cup peach syrup

Directions:
01. Whip heavy cream in chilled bowl & chilled beaters.
02. When soft peaks form, add Dr. Oetke's Vanilla Sugar.
03. Drizzle in peach syrup.

Assembly Directions:
01. Cut remaining peach halves into slices for decorating.
02. Place one cake right side up; spread with whipped cream.
03. Place second cake right side up on first; frost top & sides with remainder of whipped cream.
04. Assemble peach slices on top of the cake.

Tips & Tricks:
* Do not over beat the whipped cream.
* If you do not have Dr. Oetke's Vanilla Sugar at hand, substituting 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar & 1 tsp pure vanilla extract will yield just as tasty a whipped cream.
* Alternative to decorating the cake with peach slices, cubing the peaches and adding them to 1/3 the whipped cream to use as the center filling also works.