Peach Cake Recipe with Zefir Layers

Published on June 12, 2019 | In Russian/Ukrainian | By tatyanaseverydayfood |

- Prep Time
- 90 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 Minutes
- Difficulty Level

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Peach is THE flavor of summer and THIS is going to be the cake of this summer! My peach cake with zefir layers is beyond incredible. This Russian cake recipe is super light and fluffy and packed with so much fruity, juicy peach flavor, you’ll want to make this peach cake for every occasion! It’s made with airy sponge cake layers, Russian marshmallow aka zefir, and fluffy whipped cream frosting! It’s the ultimate peaches and cream cake!

This epic cake creation is from my newly released cookbook, The European Cake Cookbook. It’s the very first recipe in a comprehensive collection of 65 new cake recipes. If you haven’t already purchased your copy, you can order it here!

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Making This Peach Cake

Let’s talk about all the incredible ingredients that go into my peach cake. Everything about this cake is uber light, airy and creamy! I start with a simple sponge cake recipe with a bit of almond flour to make the layers even more delicate. Since sponge cakes are dry, it’s the perfect choice for adding the peach preserve filling. I simply combine peach preserves with a sweet wine (you can use white grape juice for a non-alcoholic version), then soak the layer with the resulting mixture. Next, I add a generous amount of simple whipped cream frosting between the sponge cake layers.

How To Make Zefir

The main attraction of this peach cake is the zefir, or marshmallow. This Eastern European / Russian recipe yields a super light and fluffy marshmallow that simply melts in your mouth! It’s made with agar gelatin so it sets quickly and at room temperature. If you’ve never tried zefir before, you are in for a real treat! I usually have some extra marshmallow left over so I use it to make meringue kisses, which are great on their own as a sweet treat! Just pipe the meringue onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle them with confectioner’s sugar right after piping. Allow the meringue to stand for 30 minutes, then enjoy! Store in airtight container.

Enjoyed this recipe for peach cake? Save it to Pinterest with this pinboard!

More Recipes!

Looking for more Russian cake recipes? Check out my other zefir cake – my ‘Strawberry Zefir Torte’.

And this is my ‘Classic Napoleon Cake’ – delicate layers of puff pastry filled with custard cream.

Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):

I love these aluminum baking pans for the cake layers.
The classic KitchenAid mixer is a must in every kitchen!
Use these jumbo cake decorating tips, along with these disposable pastry bags.
I get me agar gelatin online, too!
Get a candy thermometer to make sure the candy syrup reaches the right temp!

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Ingredients

For Sponge Cake:
6 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
For Peach Spread:
1 1/2 cups peach preserves
1/2 cup sweet white wine
For Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
For Zefir:
3/4 cup water, divided
1/4 cup peach jello
2 tsp agar gelatin
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 large egg whites
2 large peaches, diced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line three, 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans with parchment paper.
For the sponge cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed for 4 to 6 minutes, until pale and voluminous. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, almond flour and baking powder. Sift the dry ingredients into the eggs, folding gently but thoroughly.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the layers to cool completely, then use a serrated knife to split each layer in half.
For the whipped cream: In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla for 3 to 4 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
For the peach filling, combine the peach preserves and wine in a small bowl.
Prepare the zefir last. Prepare a large piping bag tipped with a star tip, such as French star tip #8FT. In a small saucepan, combine the ¼ cup (60 ml) water and peach gelatin. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, until the gelatin is dissolved.
Combine the remaining ½ cup (118 ml) water and agar gelatin in a separate sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, until the mixture begins to simmer and takes on an applesauce consistency. Gradually add the sugar and continue to cook the syrup over medium heat until syrup begins to boil; boil for 2 minutes.
Whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer bowl on high speed for a minute, until soft peaks form. Pour the hot syrup in a steady stream into the egg whites with the mixer running on medium speed. Add the peach gelatin and lemon juice last, then whisk on high speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides. Add food coloring, if desired.
To assemble the cake, spread the peach filling over each half, then spread a generous amount of whipped cream over the preserves and top with second half. Spread more peach preserves on top. Pipe a thick layer of zefir, then top with diced peaches, pressing them into the marshmallow gently. Proceed to assemble the cake, alternating with layers of sponge cake, peach filling, whipped cream, sponge cake and zefir. Garnish the top of the cake with dollops of zefir.
Refrigerate the cake for an hour before serving. Keep refrigerated if not serving within a few hours.

Course : Dessert
Recipe Type : Cakes, Video

11 Responses to Peach Cake Recipe with Zefir Layers

Aisha kollere July 1, 2018 at 1:29 pm #

Hey,in d absence of agar gelatin can I use regular gelatin.tnx

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood July 3, 2018 at 9:03 am #
  
  Hi! Unfortunately, regular gelatin will not work for this recipe. I get my agar from Amazon 🙂
  
  Reply
Meghan July 7, 2018 at 5:26 pm #

My daughter and I made this cake today. It is a lovely cake, but it was not a very instructive recipe. We found a number of discrepancies even between the video and the book recipes. This is the first recipe we have used from the book- I’m hoping the others will go more smoothly.

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood July 9, 2018 at 5:43 pm #
  
  Hi Megan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I did modify it slightly from the book recipe, to make the video instructions easier to follow 🙂
  
  Reply
curiousbaker August 9, 2018 at 3:00 pm #

Hello. For the cake pans, do you grease the pans and line the sides/bottom with parchment paper? The cake I made did not rise very high and stuck to the edges.

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood August 9, 2018 at 6:56 pm #
  
  Hi! I only line the bottom with parchment paper, do not grease the sides. Once you take the layers out of the oven, run a knife along the edge to release the cake layer while it cools. Usually when the cake doesn’t rise, it means the eggs weren’t whisked enough or the baking powder used was old. Hope it works better next time!
  
  Reply
  - curiousbaker August 12, 2018 at 10:59 am #
    
    Thank you. Also, I have “agar gelatin flakes”. Will that work? Or will I need agar powder?
    
    Reply
Sharmin Ullah September 26, 2018 at 7:34 pm #

Hi Tatyana, I wanted to make just the cake portion in two 8×3 inch cake pans. Do you think that would be okay? I am afraid of overflow and uneven baking. Thank you!

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood September 27, 2018 at 6:05 pm #
  
  Hi Sharmin! That should work out just fine! The height of your pan should accommodate the additional batter. Enjoy! 🙂
  
  Reply
Irina Tuchapets October 17, 2018 at 6:21 pm #

Hi, what kind of wine did you use in your recipe?
Thanks!

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood October 23, 2018 at 9:52 am #
  
  I used a sweet dessert wine for this cake. I think the brand is Arbor Mist – they have several different flavors.
  
  Reply