Country Peach Cake Cookbook Challenge

This is one of my all time favorite cakes.  Some of you may recall that I like fruit type desserts, pies, cakes, breads etc.  This recipe also happens to be from one of my oldest cookbooks, Lee Bailey's Country Desserts Cakes, Cookies, Ice Creams, Pies, Puddings & More!  I'm going to submit this recipe into Dom's oldest cookbook challenge at Belleau Kitchen .

I made this cake for Easter and it was a huge hit!  The funny thing was, my oldest niece arrived at the same time we did and I asked her to carry it into Pushy Sister #3 house for me while I gathered other things.  Well, little did I know everyone was oohing and arring over her cake!  Yes, the little stinker took full credit for my cake and her younger sister didn't say anything! 

So when I came in with my tarts I asked where my cake was because it needed to be refrigerated, boy did niece #1 get grief for taking the credit for baking my cake!  My family is not shy about letting you know what they think, so it was very funny and niece #1 got a huge kick out of it!

In addition to my cake, our Easter dessert table was HUGE this year.  My nieces, their boyfriends, and #2 nephew got together and had a baking contest on Saturday.  This is the 3rd bake-off the kids have had.  Before this it was cupcakes, then pizza. So, because of some unfair biased judging of the Easter desserts the next bake off will take place next month and the judging will be at my home!  Should be fun!

Cake:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
5 Tbs plus 1 tsp corn starch
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
6 Tbs margarine, softened
6 Tbs butter, softened
1¼ cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
¾ cup milk
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
9 large egg whites, stiffly beaten

Cream Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Peaches: (I use canned peaches in their own juice)
5-6 large peaches
Juice of ½ lemon
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1. For the cream filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the cream, sugar, and vanilla. Cover /chill, at least 2 hours before whipping.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round pans; line bottoms with wax paper. grease the paper. 

3. Sift together flour, corn starch, salt, and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, competely free of any oil, beat the eggwhites until stiff; set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl on medium high speed, cream together sugar, margarine, and butter for about 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture in four parts, alternating with milk and ending with flour. Add vanilla. 

5. Fold in beaten egg whites (don't overmix).

6. Divide the batter in the cake pans; bake on middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

7. Using a large slotted spoon, dip peaches in boiling water for about 10 seconds, then run cold water over them. remove skins and cut each into about a dozen slices. toss slices with lemon juice and and sprinkle liberally with sugar; set aside.

8. Make the Cream Filling; in a mixing bowl, whip the cold ingredients until stiff. Add bourbon, if using. 

9. The sliced peaches will have released some of their juices; pour a third of it over the bottom cake layer, a little at a time to give it a chance to soak in. Place a third of the peach slices on this layer and cover with whipped cream; repeat with the remaining layers. (I use about 3 tablespoons of juice from the canned peaches for each layer.)

Keep refrigerated, loosely covered, until ready to serve.

As Dom says "eat, and of course, enjoy."