No-Bake Peaches and Cream Cake

This cake is kind of like tiramisu on steroids. I found this recipe online and the author said it is simple to assemble. Wrong! Not that it is really difficult, but there are quite a few steps, one of which I forgot, but I will get to that later. This cake is simply delicious and well worth the effort.

Fresh peaches; a little boozy from both a wine simple syrup with some brandy; rich with multiple creams. It’s best to make the day before you are serving. Keep chilled in the fridge to allow all ingredients to come together and firm up beautifully.

This was another “treat” I made when our son, Michael was visiting. Start by removing pits and slicing the peaches. No need to peel; just keep the slices thin. This cake takes about 3 lbs. of ripe, fresh peaches. Set the slices aside.

Peaches are one of my favorite fruits!

Next make the simple syrup. Put wine and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat to dissolve the sugar and cook-off a bit of the alcohol. Turn off the heat and stir in brandy and almond extract. I actually made this the day before I made the cake. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Next whip the heavy cream, preferably by hand. The biggest advantage to whipping by hand include greater control over the final texture and reduced risk of over-whipping resulting in a grainy texture, rather than light, fluffy peaks. Sure, it’s a bit more work, but especially for a no-bake cake like this definitely worth it.

Put the cream in a mixing bowl with 3 tablespoons of powdered, confectioners sugar. Whip until soft peaks form, then gently mix in the creme fraiche with a rubber spatula. The whipping by hand takes 12 to 15 minutes to form soft peaks.

I am mad for creme fraiche and love this story. So glad to be introduced to this company. To learn more, go to: https://www.vermontcreamery.com/pages/about-our-story

Vermont is also the state I was born in!

I had a difficult time finding creme fraiche and thought of making a substitution, but there is a big difference between creme fraiche and other products, like sour cream, mascarpone or cream cheese.  The biggest difference is the fat content and how each is made. I finally found this Vermont Creamery creme fraiche at Sprouts in Green Valley, AZ.

Creme fraiche is a French-style, cultured cream; less tangy than sour cream and with a higher fat content (35 to 45%). Sour cream is lower in fat (18-20%) and fermented so is much tangier. Cream cheese is fresh, un-ripened cheese made from milk and cream. (30-33% fat content). It is much thicker with a solid consistency. And, mascarpone is a creamy Italian cheese used in both sweet and savory dishes. It has the highest fat content at around 60-75%. No wonder I love it so much! It is smooth and luscious.

(Click on each photo to enlarge.)

Put the ricotta cheese in another bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and the lemon zest. Stir to combine.

I love this Bonne Maman French brand.

This is where I goofed. The next step calls for adding 1/2 cup of peach preserves to the peach slices. I missed that step completely, but the ladyfingers are sugared, the simple syrup has sugar in it, the creams all have sugar, and the peaches were very ripe so super sweet. I figured all would be fine and it was! I heated the peach preserves and topped each serving with some preserves before serving. It was perfect.

To Build the Cake:

This was really fun to see this cake come together. Place a 9 inch pan on a rimmed baking sheet. You do this because the cake gets so full that the final layer of whipped cream may ooze over the edge. Dip ladyfingers, one at a time, into the simple syrup coating both sides.

This is actually the second layer of ladyfingers, awaiting ricotta more peach slices and finally the whipped cream topping.

First layer of 14 ladyfingers dipped in syrup and packed tightly. One half of ricotta spread over the top.

Do not saturate, but make sure both sides are coated well. The number of ladyfingers will depend on the size of your fingers. Once the ladyfingers are down, dollop half the ricotta over the ladyfingers and spread evenly.

This is the second layer of peaches.

Make a layer of peach slices, using half of the peaches. Spoon half of the whipped cream mixture over everything and smooth out with a spatula.

Dip another batch of ladyfingers into the syrup and arrange over the cream, then repeat the process with the last half of ricotta and peach slices. Drizzle any remaining syrup over. Finish with the remaining whipped cream mixture and smooth again with a spatula.

I decided to put a little peach flower on top, but that is up to you! If you forgot to add the peach preserves to the peach slices, heat a little jam in the micro for a minute to loosen and add to the top of each serving.

This cake is a show-stopper! Would be great for a birthday or special celebration.

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5 from 1 vote

No-Bake Peaches and Cream Cake

Luscious, rich, creamy and delicious. If you like the combination of peaches and cream, you will love this cake!

Ingredients

For the Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup White wine, dry I used a Yellowtail chard. Not exactly dry, but worked well.
• 1/2 cup White sugar, granulated
• 1/4 cup Brandy I used E&J VSOP Grand Blue.
• 1/2 tsp. Almond extract

For the Cake:

• 2 cups Heavy cream
• 6 Tbsp. Powdered, confectioners sugar, divided
• 1 cup Creme Fraiche
• 1 tsp. Almond extract
• 1 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon zest, from about 1 lemon
• 3 lbs. Ripe peaches, this depends on the size of peaches. Halve, remove pits, cut into thin slices.
• 1/2 cup Peach Preserves
• Ladyfingers, 24 to 28, or enough to fit snuggly in a 9 inch square pan.

Instructions

To Make the Simple Syrup:

• Put wine and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat to dissolve sugar, then turn off the heat. Stir in brandy and almond extract. Set aside to cool.

To Prepare the Cake:

• Put heavy cream in a mixing bowl with 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar. With a hand mixer or whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks form, then gently mix in the creme fraiche. Add almond extract and stir to combine. Taste for sweetness. Adjust if necessary.
• Put the ricotta in a separate bowl. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar and the lemon zest. Stir to combine.
• Put peach slices in a bowl. Add the peach preserves and toss to coat.

To Build the Cake:

• Place a 9 inch square pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Dip 12 to 14 ladyfingers, one at a time, into the syrup coating both sides. Arrange snuggly on the bottom of the pan. Dollop half the ricotta over the ladyfingers and spread evenly.
• Add a layer of peach slices, using half the peaches. Spoon half of the whipped cream mixture over everything and smooth with a spatula.
• Dip remaining ladyfingers in the syrup and arrange over the cream. Repeat the process with the last of the ricotta and another layer of peach slices. Finish with the remaining whipped cream mixture and smooth with a spatula. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
• To serve, cut into squares or scoop with a large spoon.