The peaches were epic again this year, and I really wanted to make a peach cake before the end of summer. I adore everything peach! I froze most of the lug I bought so I wouldn't eat the whole fifty-pound box of peaches myself!
Thank goodness I found a wonderful peach cake recipe using frozen peaches! (You can sure use fresh peaches, too!) This cake starts with a yellow cake mix with extra eggs, oil, jello, and frozen peaches, so it's super rich and moist. It was everything I was looking for when I set out to make it.
Except for one thing! Peach jello can be hard to find. I struck out at the first two places I looked and thought I'd found it!
I'm an endless source of humor (to myself, anyway) because of my jack-rabbit brain and always-in-a-hurry behavior. I flew through the aisles without my readers at yet another grocery store in typical Betty mode and thought I had found it. I went home and baked the cake, taking photos as I went along, and even gave the cake to some unsuspecting friends.
The cake was amazing, I must say. I saved two pieces for more photos and sampling. And do stay tuned for the incredible caramel buttercream frosting recipe that may be the most fabulous frosting that ever crossed my lips! See if you can spot what I did in my haste.
Aha!! See it? I grabbed the wrong jello and sped down the aisle without my readers! And you know what? I didn't make the wrong cake; I simply invented a new one this time! Hello, Fuzzy Navel Cake! The classic peach and orange combination did not disappoint; it was fabulous. And that's how Thomas Edison invented the light bulb!
Peach jello may be hard to find, but it's still available! You may need to look harder and remember to wear your readers!
Put the cake mix, eggs, gelatin, and oil in a big mixing bowl and beat the ingredients until they are well blended. I like to put the mixing bowl in the sink when I use the mixer. That way, I save lots of splatters on the counter and backsplash. Just rinse them away, and they're gone. Lazy can be good.
Here's another little hint that will save some cleanup time. When you assemble your peach cake, use the empty cake mix box to corral all the messy egg shells and jello boxes so you can toss everything in one easy move.
Chop the peaches into bite-size pieces, then fold them into the cake batter with a big wooden spoon.
I loved using my trusty Danish whisk for this step.
Pour the batter into a greased 13" by 9" pan. I used a disposable pan since I was giving this cake away. Throwaway pans can be flimsy, so I like to put them on a sturdy sheet pan so they're easier to move, especially before baking.
Bake the peach cake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. The cake will be quite brown, and the edges will start slightly pulling away from the pan. Test it with a toothpick to be sure it's done. The toothpick should come out clean or have just a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting it. You can make the frosting while the cake is baking. This actually works out very well because the caramel syrup needs a chance to cool before you beat in the powdered sugar.
While waiting for the cake to bake, here's another little hint I use in my old kitchen with inefficient old cabinets. I like to keep cake mixes on hand and buy them when they're on sale. You never know when someone from church or school will call about someone who needs a cake!
As you put them on the shelf, use a magic marker to identify the type of cake and the expiration date. It takes seconds. In food service, the term is FIFO: First in, first out. Use this handy tip to help avoid shoving an expired mix into the back of the cupboard like that has NEVER happened to me. Ha ha. I tidied up for the photo.
I did get this part right! These are the actual ingredients you need to make the incredibly delicious frosting. It begins as if you're making caramel sauce!
Cut the butter into pats and put it in a medium saucepan with the brown sugar and cream over medium heat. Stir it occasionally as it cooks, and bring it to a boil. It needs to boil until all the sugar is dissolved. Once it boils, stir it constantly for a minute or two, then take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Now, set the pan aside to cool.
Once the caramel is cool enough to handle the pan comfortably, beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is spreadable. (I put the pot in my kitchen sink while I did this, too!) If it gets too thick, stir in a bit of cream a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
Now pour that yummy frosting onto the cooled cake and spread it evenly over the top of this yummy peach cake masterpiece! Let the frosting set before cutting the cake.
This peach cake is very rich and sweet, so you may want to cut it into smaller pieces. Whether you make it like the recipe or veer off and bake yourself a fuzzy navel cake, it's delicious both ways!
A cake is just the thing we need sometimes for a celebration, to fix a broken heart, or for a gathering of friends. Here are some of our family's favorite cake recipes. Lemon Cake, Vanilla Poke Cake With Salted Buttercream, and Candy Bar Poke Cake.
A delicious peach cake that starts with a yellow cake mix, jello, and frozen peaches.
** You can use orange jello and make this into a Fuzzy Naval Cake!
* Use "store-bought" frozen peaches or your own home-frozen peaches
This is a two-step caramel buttercream frosting that takes any cake over the top with its amazing flavor and texture.
This is a generous amount of frosting for a 9" x 13" cake!
What's your family's favorite cake? Please share it with me; I'd love to hear from you!
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Absolutely wonderful cake. We could taste the real peaches!!!!
Even through the orange jello?? LOL
I use 1cup (2sticks) of melted butter instead of the 1cup of oil.
I'll bet that is amazing!! Thanks for sharing!