Peach & Strawberry Loaf

Taking a classic loaf cake and giving it a makeover with fresh fruit and cream cheese frosting always makes an impact when presented on the dinner table, especially when it’s been cut and the strawberry cream is revealed. Many people restrict themselves to serving a loaf cake with a drizzle of icing, however using seasonal fruit, for instance peaches and strawberries can easily transform any cake. The peaches were baked with honey and butter to sweeten its sharp taste it also provides syrup for drizzling. Whilst the strawberries are not only used to garnish it’s mixed with some of the mascarpone cheese frosting and sandwiched between the loaf.

For this recipe I used a loaf tin that was 20 cm x 9cm.

Prep Time: 40 minutes         Cooking Time: 50 mins           Serves: 8-10  

Ingredients

 

For the Cake

150g margarine or softened butter

150g caster sugar

2 large eggs

150g self-raising flour, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp nutmeg

Pinch of salt

 

For the Filling & Topping

250g Mascarpone cream cheese

80g Icing Sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g Strawberries chopped

50g Strawberries

1 Peach/2 flat peaches

2 tsp Butter

1 tsp Granulated or Brown sugar

1 tbsp Honey

Fresh mint

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.  Grease a 20cm x 9 cm loaf tin and line with non-stick baking paper.
2. Slice the peaches and place in an oven proof dish. Spread the butter and pour over the honey, then sprinkle the brown sugar ontop. Place in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes to bake whilst you mix the sponge cake.
3. In a large bowl, beat all the sugar and butter together until smooth, then whisk in the egg, salt vanilla extract and nutmeg.
4. Sift in the flour into the mixture, and fold in until all is combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
6. Remove the peaches from the oven, as they should be baked by now. Then place the cake in the oven for about 25-35 mins until golden and/or the cake springs back when pressed.
7. Remove from the tin after 5 minutes and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
8. Once cool, cut along the middle of the loaf, so it opens like a sandwich.

 

Method for the Filling

1. To make the filling, whisk the mascarpone until smooth and creamy, and then gradually whisk in icing sugar and vanilla extract. Divide the mixture in 2 and set 1 part aside for the topping.
2. Stir in the chopped strawberries into 1 half of the mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Spread the strawberry mascarpone over the bottom half of the loaf, and sandwich the second top half of the loaf on top.

Method for the topping

1. Spread the remaining mascarpone frosting on top of the loaf.
2. Decorate with the loaf with baked peach slices and fresh strawberries. Drizzle with the syrup that is in the dish that the peaches were in and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

 

Keep refrigerated and eat within 2 days.

Enjoy!