Serves 10
490g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
350g caster sugar
6 eggs
350g plain flour
5 peaches, stoned
300g double cream, plus 4 tbsp
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
280g icing sugar
1 tsp orange food colouring, plus 1 drop
1 tsp red food colouring
1 tsp pink food colouring
300g cherries, stoned and halved, plus extra to decorate
200g raspberries, halved, plus extra to decorate
3 strawberries, hulled and halved
2 x 20cm sandwich tins
baking paper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and grease and line the sandwich tins with baking paper. In a large bowl, cream the caster sugar with 350g of the butter until thick and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
Sift in the flour and fold in until combined. Chop 2 peaches finely, then stir them into the cake batter along with 2 tbsp of cream. Mix in the vanilla paste and divide the mixture equally between the tins. Bake for 35 mins until an inserted metal skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins.
In a bowl, combine the remaining butter with the icing sugar, then mix in 2 tbsp of double cream. Transfer a third of the mixture into a separate bowl, then do the same with half of the remaining butter icing, so there are three equal-sized bowls of the mixture. Mix the orange food colouring into one, the red into another and the pink into the last. Stir all individually until the colour is consistent through the icing.
Cut both cakes in half horizontally, then place one piece on a serving plate. Spread the red icing onto the cake, then top with the cherries. On a chopping board, spread the pink icing onto another cake and top with the raspberries. Place that cake on top of the cherry layer. Slice 1½ of the remaining peaches, then, on the board, spread another cake with the orange icing and top with a layer of the peach slices. Place that cake on top of the raspberry layer. Top with the remaining cake, so the cut side of the cake is face down. Cover and leave to chill for 30 mins.
Place the remaining whole peach in a liquidiser and blend until smooth. Pour the 300g of cream into a stand mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. Add 1 drop of the orange colouring to the peach mixture and mix thoroughly, then add to the cream and stir twice only. Ice the entire cake with the mixture, using a spatula to smooth down the edges, and level off the top. Place the remaining cream and peach mixture into a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe three large rosettes on the top of the cake. Arrange the extra cherries, raspberries and the strawberries on top, then slice the remaining half peach and add to the arrangement. Leave to chill for 10 mins, then serve.
More recipes for rainbow dishes are in the July 2021 issue of Land**Scape** magazine...
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