Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting

By AzWench

Ingredients

• Dulce de Leche:
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• Cake:
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup peeled, chopped peaches, fresh or frozen
• Peach Filling:
• 10-ounces jar high-quality peach preserves
• 1 3/4 cups peeled, chopped peaches, fresh or frozen, defrosted and drained if frozen
• Dulce de Leche Buttercream:
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• Dulce de Leche, above

Preparation

Step 1

To Make the Dulce de Leche: Remove the paper wrapper from the can of sweetened condensed milk. Use a can opener to make two small punctures on opposite sides of the top of the can. Set the can of milk in a medium saucepan, puncture side up. Fill the saucepan with water to reach two-thirds of the way up the sides of the can. Cover the saucepan with water to reach two-thirds of the way up the sides of the can. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat until the water simmers. Simmer the milk about 1 hour. Check the saucepan periodically, adding water to ensure that the water level does not drop below halfway. A bit of milk may seep out of the small holes in the can. Cook until the milk pooled on top of the can has turned a deep golden brown. (You may have heard that boiling the can of sweetened condensed milk unopened is a shortcut. Do not attempt this. The milk expands when heated and may erupt with explosive results.)

Remove the can from the simmering water using a pot holder or tongs (it will be very hot). Open the can carefully and use a rubber spatula to spoon the cooked milk into a small bowl. It should have a puddinglike consistency. set aside until completely cooled. Reserve the dulce de leche for the frosting.

To Make the Cake: Place one baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds and grease with butter or cooking spray. Arrange the chopped pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer, and arrange the pecan halves on another baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromaticup Cool the pecans for at least 10 minutes. Set the toasted pecan halves aside for decorating the cake. Leave the oven at 350 degrees.

Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter and sugar in a 6-quart bowl on medium-high speed about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture from the sides into the middle of the bowl. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating on medium-high speed between each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla; beat until incorporated. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Fold in the peaches and 1 cup of the chopped pecans (reserve the remaining chopped pecans for the filling). Pour or spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are light brown on top and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Run a knife round the edges of the pans and invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely, about 15 to 30 minutes.

The cake layers can be kept frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 3 weeks.

To Make the Peach Filling: Stir together the preserves, peaches, and reserved 1 cup pecans.

To Make the Buttercream: Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the cooled dulce de leche and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes longer.

To assemble the cake, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Top with half of the peach filling. Add the second layer; top with the remaining peach filling. Add the third layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the buttercream. Press the toasted pecan halves in an even circle around the outer edge of the cake's top.

The frosted cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature, or 1 week in the refrigerator. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.