Vanilla Bean Peach Cake - Soaked in Peach Syrup

So every Friday, we head to the Orchard to be able to set up Saturday mornings at the markets with the freshest fruit we can pluck. With that schedule, I've started baking on Thursday evenings so that whatever I've decided to whip up can be split between Willa (aka Grandma) and Josh and company for breakfast on Saturday morning.  As you might expect, I use whatever fruit I held back from the week prior.
 

This peach syrup soaked cake was met with good reviews from not only the usual suspects, but also a few lucky market goers.  Best compliment that followed this cake was from Josh though (I'm a bit bias, but that's expected at this point), who says I'm "a crazy good cook."
 
Enjoy! -Cassie 

  Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 vanilla bean, split, seeds
1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
1 3/4 cups diced fresh peaches tossed with 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

Syrup 

 

1/2 cup fresh peach puree, strained
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Use your stand or a hand mixer to beat the butter at medium speed until fluffy (2-5 minutes). Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds and scraping sides/bottom after each addition. Mix in vanilla beans.

At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream.

Scoop half of batter into pan and spread with spatula. Sprinkle with peach/lemon juice mixture. Top with remaining and smooth with spatula.

Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack. Place the cake, on the rack, over a baking sheet.

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine peach puree, sugar, and orange juice and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying. Let the cake cool completely.

Best served with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.  Or even just a cup of coffee or glass of cold milk!