Monday 12 May 2008

Peach Marshmallow Cake

I have not been baking anything for the past week as I was busy coaching my two kids for their school's mid-year exams. We were so glad when it was finally over! Instead of taking out the oven to bake something, I chose to make a chill cake as I thought it would be good to have something nice and cold as dessert.


The recipe is taken from Baking Mum's Strawberry Marshmallow Cake...I always admire her great cooking and baking skills, and she has shared many wonderful recipes in her blog. I did a peach version as I didn't have any strawberries in the fridge. The base of the cake was a layer of crushed digestive biscuits. The filling was made by melting marshmallows, milk, gelatin and cream, before topping off with fruits and a layer of jelly. Don't you think it is a rather interesting combination? This is in fact my second attempt. The first time round I didn't have a chance to take any photos to blog about it as I brought it to a friend's gathering. The cake was well received by both adults and kids.


I have come across many photos of cakes and tarts decorated beautifully with fruits. Although most cookbooks will show you how to go about making the cakes, so far I have not come across any, that clearly spells out how to go about arranging the fruits on top. So it took me a good few minutes of thinking to figure out how to arrange the peach slices on this cake.

I first tried out the arrangement on a plate, about the size of the finished cake, before attempting to arrange them on the actual cake. By doing so, I found out that in order to have a 'rosette' in the centre, it was easier to first arrange the outer ring of peach slices. This way the peach slices would be able to 'support' the rosette. As for the rosette, I worked from the outer 'petals' inwards...over lapping the slices one after another...and you need to use fairly thin slices, especially for the inner most piece, as you need to be able to bend and curl them a little. (Slice the peaches if the ready sliced ones are too thick.)


According to the recipe, this chill cake seems pretty easy to make. However, I thought it can get rather tricky when it comes to finding the right time to arrange the fruits and pouring in the jelly layer. If the fillings was chilled for too long, the jelly layer may not adhere to the filling...so, once you slice the cake, the jelly layer may separate from the fillings. The jelly has to be cool off completely before pouring it over the filling, otherwise there would be bits of fillings melted away and the jelly layer would not be 'crystal clear'! I also discovered, to my surprise, that melting the marshmallow was not that easy either! They didn't melt that quickly as I would expect. I had to keep stirring the mixture to prevent it from getting burnt at the bottom. I would suggest using a big enough saucepan to boil the ingredients for the fillings...the first time I made this, I used a small saucepan and had to change to a bigger pot halfway! I hope this will be helpful for those who are keen to give this cake a try.

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow Fabulous ! I wish I could do it too but I am rather clumsy with my hand...

Yuri said...

Wonderful arrangement HHB! I tried to do that once, but didn't succeed and gave up :P Besides, mine wasn't round, so there wasn't "support".

About melting marshmellows, I found the double boiling method most useful. Although constant stirring would still be necessary. This was what started me on the baking journey back in Nov 2007, the strawberry hearts :D

Kitchen Corner said...

This is very beautiful cake like the one sold at the bakery shop. You are so professional!! Can I have a piece please?? :)

Laurane said...

I come here once every few days to see if you've come up with something new to post! This is by far my favourite foodblog site! :) Hope you don't mind but I've added a link on my blog to yours.

I made this lemon cheesecake once, and did a similar thing with the topping except i used canned mangoes (i couldnt find peaches!). I did the same thing at the sides, but when i got to the center circle i couldn't come up with something, so instead i cubed the mangoes, and filled up the middle. It wasn't too bad :)

Thanks for the ideas, i might try this one someday (i dont have an electronic mixer so i've been looking for recipes which wouldn't require one)

sherlyn said...

Hi HHB. I wanted to do this rosette with the slice peaches on my mother's day cake too, but I find the cake is too small to accomodate the rosette.

Thanks for your tips on making the rosette. I didn't think abt the support issue, only think that slicing would definitely be required as the peach slices are still very thick.

Very nice cake you have dressed up. Imagine me, u and SSB all made a peach related cake recently, how coincidence.

Anonymous said...

Congratulation for your tips on making good Item. I think about the support item, only think that slicing would definitely be required as the peach slices are still very thick.Very nice cake you have dressed up.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Peaches and marshmallows intrigued me when I saw the title in my reader. Then I come and see that gorgeous rose on top, and I'm completely WoWed!

Anonymous said...

Beautifully done HHB! such a waste to cut it up to eat :)

Anonymous said...

I am not sure if this will work but perhaps you could try making a few scratches with a fork on the marshmallow layer before pouring the jelly layer to help them adhere together. That's what I do when I steam kueh talam.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi OrangeJuice, I am sure you can...I am quite clumsy too ;)

Thanks Yuri for the tip :)
I am sure you have since got addicted to baking after making the strawberry hearts!

Thanks Kitchen Corner!

Hi Laurane, thanks for linking me up :D

Hi Sherlyn, I guess we all love peaches :)

Hi Kredite ohne Schufa, thanks for your comments :)

Susan, thanks for your lovely comments!

Hi Xan, it's actually quite simple to make the arrangement, so I didnt feel the 'pain' ;)

Thanks Natasya for your tips. I will bare that in mind when I make this again next time :)

Anonymous said...

Hi,

may I seek ur advice, do u pour the marshmallow fillings into the biscuit base while iz hot or u let it cool down to warm? Thank u very much!
regards

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Angela, I let the marshmallow fillings cool off for about 5mins before pouring into the biscuit base.

Sophie said...

This is beautiful! I love the rose in the middle :D...and, yes, I think this cake has a tasty but interesting combination of ingredients -- I bet the texture is fun too :).

Anonymous said...

Wow, thanks for your tips, it was very useful especially for me who tried this for the first time. It was a BIG success, the cake turned out nice and was well received by the kids.

Anonymous said...

you are so inspiring! i usually check your blog to see if i can make some for my spouse and kid. thanks very much for sharing!

Anonymous said...

HI HHB

very tempted to try out the marshmallow cake but afraid that i may fail..because it seems difficult to determine the exact moment to pour the marshmallow layer and the jelly layer. btw, did you use a springform pan? if not, u also use cake ring? i am thinking of using a springform pan but someone broke her cake because of the pressure exerted...
thks
regards
octopusmum

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Octopusum, I don't have a springform pan or a cake ring. I used a pan that comes with a removable base. Maybe that cake wasn't fully set before the person unmold it...causing it to break?? You don't have to worry too much about the timing...just do it and learn from experience. To help minimise failure, here are some tips:
- To prevent the marshmallow layer from hardening and if you are kaisu enough like me, you can check every 5 mins after you pop it in the freezer. It should feel soft...and when u shake the pan a little, it shouldn't be too wobbly. You can test the firmness by placing one slice of fruit(strawberry/peach) to see whether the marshmallow layer can hold it without the fruit sinking into the bottom.
- After arranging the fruits, leave it in the freezer for another 10mins or so. Again you can test it by spooning a few tbs of jelly over it just enough to cover the base of the fruits...if the fruits don't 'swim around' then you can add in the remining jelly. if not pop it back to the freezer.
- Do remember to cool off the jelly before pouring over the marshmallow layer.
- Remember to chill the biscuit base before using. I very kaisu, I put it in the freezer to make sure it really firms up...otherwise, the base will crumble when u slice it.
- make sure your cake is fully set before unmolding. Based on my experience with jelly, it takes more than 6 hrs for the jelly layer to set. To play safe, I chill the cake over night.
Hope this helps and Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

HI HHB

i didn't see your reply till now...wow, thks for all the tips and tricks! these are what i need. sorrie, one more question though, the base mustn't be too hard ,right? otherwise the marshmallow layer may not stick on it, right? i think i am more kiasee than u, it is v hard for me to find the time to bake/cook so when i do, i hope it would be a success. hope u don't mind my many questions..guess what, i am going to print out your tips and add them to the recipe i have...
octopusmum

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Octopusmum, I am not sure about the base, I didn't have any problem with it. I prefer to freeze the base so that it hardens and won't break easily upon slicing.

Anonymous said...

I see the recipe requires Jello.. and if there is no jello, can it replaced by something else? If so, what else can I replace it with? I am very interested in making this cake but it is pretty hard for me to find jello at my place....

By the way, what flavor jello did you use?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Bunnies, I don't use Jello. I normally use either orange or pineapple flavour of this brand of jelly crystal 'Tortally'. If you cannot get any Jello or jelly crystals, you can replace it with a mixture of gelatin powder and water. However, I am sorry that I do not have a recipe for that at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Happy Homebaker!!

Oleagopoly said...

hey,... i got a question to ask but i dunno how to get you other by posting a comment =)

i've been aiming to do a peach pound cake.. and i'm quite interested to do like those fruit cakes they sell outside..

it's a combination of the strawberry sponge cake : http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.com/2008/01/fresh-start.html , but instead of creaming the top, i wanted to use jello for the top...

but i dunno how to get about it!! reading from the thread for this recipe it's important to get the correct timing to put the jello before it either mixs with the marshmallow, or the jello doesn't stick with the cake.... you have any suggestions how to do that? or you can try doing one and advice me. LOL!!

unfortunately i haven't bought a spring form cake tin yet.. was hoping the jell-ing version doesn't need a spring form but sounds impossible, doesn't it.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Oleagopoly, I don't think it is possible to make a jelly layer over a sponge cake...the reason is, very likely, the sponge cake will get all soaked up with the liquid jelly.
Instead of a spring form pan (which is more expansive) you can get a pan with a removable base, otherwise you can also improvise by lining a normal pan with alum foil. To unmold, simply lift up the whole cake and tear off the alum foil.

Oleagopoly said...

Hi HHB,
thanks for the reply.
hmmm if that's the case, how do they make those comercial sold fruit cakes (those with mango/peach/kiwi/strawberry fruits on the top) and has a kind of jello over it? would u know?

hahah so sorry i'm treating you like a walking encyclopedia ... =)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Oleagopoly, I am sorry I have no idea the kind of fruit cakes you are referring to, I am really very 'sua ku'! Which bakery can u get such cakes?

b said...

hi happy home baker,
i have seen the cakes mentioned by oleagopoly in the bakery in penang, malaysia. i wanna bake it for my mum dis comin mother's day..
do u think it is possible for me to bake a normal sponge cake with peach inside n cover it with non dairy whipping cream n arrange peach slices on top and then pour over the jelly?
will the liquid jelly still soak up the sponge cake after spreadin over the layer of whipping cream?
i hope u get what i mean >.<

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi B, ok, I roughly got an idea. But I am sorry I don't know whether you can pour the jelly over? I guess you may have to let the frosted cake chill for sometime in the fridge for the whipping cream to firm up a bit before pouring the jelly? Sorry I am of not much help here.

b said...

thank you!
it does help.
i will try n let u know if it works :D

Kristie said...

Hi HHB,

Just wondering how does this marshmallow cake tastes like? The texture of cheesecake or much lighter?

Very interesting cake :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Kristie, it tasted lighter than a cheesecake, almost like a mousse cake to me.

Kristie said...

Interesting ya, I would love to try out this recipe when the occasion arises! Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

What flavour of the jelly did you use under the brand Tortally? so you use half a packet as stated in the recipe ?

Thanks will be doing for a Christmas party this saturday.

Ling

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ling, I used the pineapple flavour. No, I didn't use half the packet, instead I made the jelly according to the instruction on the package (full portion). I spoon in just enough amount of jelly mixture to cover the peach layer and chill the leftover just as per normal jelly (together with the leftover peaches). Wishing you a great xmas party!

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Thanks ! As I'll be baking a 10inch round cake, that means I need to buy 2 packets of Tortally ?

Thanks again and wishing you a blessed xmas and a happy new year !

Ling

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

One more question, so you were saying you used the packaging of the Tortally instructions. That's is no need to use any gelatine and water as per Baking mum's recipe ?

Thanks !
Ling

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ling, I don't think you need two packets, one pack should be more than enough. Yes, I was lazy, I didn't use any gelatine for the jelly layer. i just dissolve the Tortally crystal in 1 cup boiling water, 1 cup hot water (skip the step of boiling!). So, if you are making a 10" cake, would you be doubling the portion? If not you will get a flatter cake. But if you double the portion, you may not need so much, maybe you need to consider using a smaller pan for any leftover filling. Do note that boiling the marshmallow can be quite tricky, use a large pot, and keep stirring, initially the marshmallow will 'float' about and I found it quite annoying, I think it is just me, I am quite hopeless with anything that requires the stove ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

I will be using my cheesecake recipe instead, and the top layer following yours as I see its so beautifully done. Before that I used agar agar powder which was not so "clear" and nicely done like yours.

Ok wish me luck in my decoration.

Ling.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,
Nice peach cake, it's really beautiful. I saw the recipe in Baking Mum's blog and I just want to ask, can the milk be substituted with low fat milk or soy bean milk and whip cream substituted with natural yogurt?
Thank you.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, I have not tried substituting the ingredients, but I think you can replace milk with low fat milk, soy bean milk may not be suitable. I'm sorry I do not know whether natural yogurt will work well in this recipe, maybe you can check with Baking Mum instead.

Unknown said...

Hey, did you use orange or pineapple jello?

soh said...

Hi, Thank you for the wonderful recipe, you are so inspiring, I made it for my daughter's Bithday yesterday. It turned our yummy and not sweet, everyone love it. I cann't get peach jelly crystals, so I replace it with 1 tablespoon of gelatine powder, also replace milk with low fat milk.
Happy baking...

Anonymous said...

Hi, I would like to ask whether this cake is chill in the freezer(ice compartment) or in the butter,eggs etc compartment?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, chill it in the butter,eggs compartment, not the freezer.

Anonymous said...

May i know which brand of marshmallow did you used?

Happy Homebaker said...

Lx, I used Rocky Mountain marshmallow.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I read your comments about using Tortally jelly crystal. The package states that the jelly crystal should be dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water and another cup of cold water. However, your comment stated 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup hot water. So should i add 1 cup of hot water or cold water?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I used 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup hot water instead of cold water if not the crystals will not dissolve completely.

Anonymous said...

I followed what the package stated. If the crystals did not dissolve completely, is it fine for me to strain it?

Happy Homebaker said...

I think it should be ok. How did your cake turn out?

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB! I was the anonymous that asked you question regarding the straining of jelly cystals. My cake turned out fine :) Thanks for the recipe though. Oh and I have linked you to my newly created blog http://bake-admire-keep-enjoy.blogspot.com/ Do link me up. Also, I have credited you in my blog for this recipe

Anonymous said...

Hi
How to cut the cake so that the peach will not break through from the jelly? The cake look so nice, hope can cut nicely too. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Hi,

May I know if I need to wash & rinse the syrup peaches? I find it very difficult to arrange them as they are very slippery.
Need to pat dry before use?

Thks!

Bebe

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Bebe, I didn't wash the peaches, just drain the syrup before using.