Spiced Cake with Peach Elderberry Compote and Brown Butter Spiced Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Is there anything better than cake and buttercream frosting? How about a black elderberry syrup compote that adds immune strengthening* antioxidants so you can feel good about eating cake? This recipe will be a hit with whomever you choose to share it... if you choose to share at all!

Recipe by Tara Snyder (on Instagram @bearnecessities___)

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 ¾ cup of flour
• 2 ¾ teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of sea salt
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon of cane sugar
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 cup of butter softened at room
• 2 eggs - room temperature
• 8 egg yolks -room temperature
• 8 oz + 2 tablespoons of milk room temperature

Compote

• 4 cups of frozen or fresh peaches skins removes
• ¼ cup of elderberry syrup
• ⅓ cup of red wine - I used Cabernet Sauvignon
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon of cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon of cardamon
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¾ cup of brown sugar
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 2 cups of butter-browned* see directions below
• 1- 8oz package of cream cheese softened at room temperature
• 6 cups of powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla
• 2 ¼ teaspoons of cinnamon
• Sprinkle of sea salt

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Prepare two round 8X3 or 8X2 cake pans. Trace the pans with parchment paper or paper towel. Cut out the round shapes leaving about an inch room from where the traced line is. Oil or butter up the cake pans. Then place the parchment paper or paper towel at the bottom of the pan. Add a bit more oil or butter to the top of parchment paper or paper towel to prevent the cake from sticking. Set aside.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. In a separate bowl. Add in the sea salt flakes and mix well.
4. For the wet ingredients making sure the eggs and milk are at room temperature are all at room temperature. This helps the cake bind together correctly. Using a stand mixer and beat until creamy. Add in the sugar and cream the mixture. It should be well whipped and creamy. Then add in the eggs preferably one at time. Then add in vanilla and spices and mix well.
5. Starting with the dry ingredients mix a bit into the stand mixer and then add a bit of the room temperature milk alternating the flour and milk ending with the milk.
6. Divide the cake batter into two pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and the center is completely cooked. Pound on a counter or floor to remove the air bubbles from the batter. During the halfway mark route the cakes in the oven. I placed both of my cakes on a baking tray to cook them. So I just rotated the baking tray halfway through. Use a toothpick or a knife to test for doneness of the cake.
7. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes before you remove the cakes from the pans.
8. Using a knife run the knife around the outside of the cake to help release the cake from the pan. Shaking the cake a bit helps to loosen the cake up. Then remove the cake and allow the cakes to cool on a baking rack until completely cooled before frosting.
9. Compote: Add all of the ingredients together from the compote into a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the temperature down and continue to cook until the mixture thickens up about 20-25 minutes. I like to use a potato masher to mash up the peaches slightly.
10. Brown butter: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat occasionally swirling the pan so the butter cooks evenly. When the butter melts it'll start to foam. Once the milk solids drop and the butter turns a toasty brown it's done. You'll be able to tell by the nutty smell that the butter is done. Place in the fridge to allow to chill or if you’re short on time you can place it in the freezer to chill.
11. For the frosting add the chilled for still soft brown butter to a stand mixer and mix until creamy about 2-3 minutes, while occasionally scraping down the sides. Then add in the cream cheese and mix well. Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time and pulse lightly to prevent the powdered sugar from making a mess. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Add milk if you need to thin the frosting out a bit more. 1 tablespoon at a time.
12. Once the cake has completely cooled cut off the tops of the cake to level them out. Lay one cake down with the top facing down. Add a layer of frosting. Then pipe a ring around the outside of the cake and add the compote. Then add the second cake on top of the layered frosting cake so that the bottom of the top cake is on the top. You want a nice smooth surface to work with. Frost the top and the sides adding what is called a crumb layer. Trying to even out the frosting as much as possible. This works best if you have a cake frosting spatula and a turntable. Put the cake in the refrigerator and let the buttercream harden up a bit before adding a final layer of frosting. Remove the cake and add the final layer of frosting. Store in the fridge for 4-5 days and enjoy it. You can also freeze the cake too and it’ll last for about 3 months in the freezer. I cut the cake into pieces and lay them flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once fully frozen I transfer them to a freezer-safe container to store the pieces in.

 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.