Grandma's peach and pudding cake: A family recipe to cherish

My grandma's semi-shortcrust pastry with peaches and pudding reminds me of late summer, warm Saturday afternoons, and freshly cut grass. Grandma usually baked cakes just before Sunday to share with family and friends. I still remember the taste of the semi-shortcrust peach cake. Such flavors are unforgettable.

The base of the peach cake is semi-shortcrust pastry, which most of us probably associate with apple pie. Besides the obligatory flour, butter, and sugar, semi-shortcrust pastry also contains sour cream (buttermilk or kefir). This ingredient ensures that our semi-shortcrust pastry doesn't crumble like traditional shortcrust. Adding sour cream necessitates using a leavening agent, such as baking powder. Remember that all the ingredients for semi-shortcrust pastry should be cold, not just the butter.

You can prepare a semi-shortcrust cake with canned or fresh peaches. In the latter case, it is essential to ensure the fruits are soft and sweet.

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cold butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar (1 tbsp)
• 1 flat teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Pinch of salt

Pudding Filling

• 4 egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 2 packs of vanilla pudding mix (sugar-free)
• 1/4 cup oil
• Pinch of salt
• 8 peach halves in syrup or fresh soft peaches

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour with the baking powder, and add salt.
2. Grate the hard butter using a large grater or cut it with a knife while mixing it with the flour. Quickly knead the dough until it resembles crumbs.
3. Add the egg yolks, sour cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Knead the dough quickly, just until the ingredients are combined.
4. Form the dough into a ball and divide it into two parts: place 2/3 in the refrigerator and 1/3 in the freezer. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap before refrigerating.
5. Prepare the pudding filling: beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding a pinch of salt. When the foam stiffens, gradually add the sugar and vanilla sugar. Finally, add the pudding mix and oil, mixing everything quickly.
6. Drain the peaches from the syrup and cut them into slices.
7. Take 2/3 of the dough from the refrigerator and spread it on the bottom of a baking tray. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
8. Arrange half of the peaches on the dough and pour the pudding filling over them. Then, arrange the remaining peaches on top.
9. Take 1/3 of the dough from the freezer and grate it over the fruit using a large grater.
10. Bake the cake for 50 minutes at 350°F (top-bottom mode).
11. Set aside to cool, and then dust with powdered sugar.