1 c Cake flour, sifted 3/4 c Sugar
1 ts Baking powder 1/3 c Water
1/4 ts Salt 1 ts Vanilla
1/4 c Walnuts, finely chopped 3 tb Cream sherry
1 cn Cling peaches (16 oz size) 3 Eggs
1 pt Heavy cream 8 Walnuts, halved
Sift flour, baking powder and salt onto waxed paper;stir in chopped
walnuts. Lightly grease an 8x8x2 3/4 or springform pan. Beat eggs in a
medium size bowl with electric mixer at high speed until frothy. Beat
in sugar gradually and continue beating at high speed until mixture
is very thick and creamy, at least 5 minutes. Stir water and vanilla
into egg mixture. Gently fold in flour mixture. Pour batter into
prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until center springs
back when lightly touched with fingertip. Cool in pan on wire rack 5
minutes. Loosen cake around sides; release and remove ring; loosen
from bottom; remove from pan. Cool completely. Cut cake into 3 thin
layers. Drain peaches; reserve syrup. combine 3 tbsps. of the syrup
with the sherry in a small bowl. Reserve 8 peach slices; chop
remainder and add to sherry mixture. Beat cream in a medium size bowl
until stiff. Put bottom cake layer on serving plate. Spoon half the
sherry-peach mixture over layer; spread with 1 cup of the cream.
Repeat with second layer; top with remaining layer. Spread a layer of
whipped cream over top layer. Put remaining cream in a pastry bag
fitted with a star top. Pip out swirls on top, then garnish with
reserved peach slices and walnuts. Chill until ready to serve.
Yields
10 servings