Hot Sponge with Poached Peaches: A Dinner Party Fave

I’m not usually a dessert person—if I had the choice, I’d always go for two starters over dessert when eating out. But sometimes, life calls for dessert, and this one’s a winner. Enter: burnt butter sponge with sauternes poached peaches and coconut mascarpone cream. It’s the perfect dish to impress your dinner guests or satisfy that peach obsession I just can’t shake. Plus, it’s very easy to make.

Sponge with Poached Peaches and Coconut Cream

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Recipe:

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4

Sponge:

• 113g butter

• 1 vanilla pod

• 113g egg white

• 50g light brown sugar

• 63g honey

• 45g ground almonds

• 45g plain flour

• Butter for greasing cake tins (I used 4-inch removable-bottom tart tins)

Poached Peaches:

• 2 large yellow flesh peaches

• 375ml bottle of Sauternes

• 1 heaping tsp honey

• Zest of 2 mandarins

• 5 green cardamom pods

• Squeeze of lemon

Mascarpone Coconut Cream:

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 3 tbsp mascarpone

• 50g desiccated coconut

Method:

Preheat your oven to 190°C with a pizza stone inside (it makes the sponge cook evenly).

Sponge:

1. Remove the vanilla seeds from the pod and set them aside.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the vanilla pod (seeds removed) on low-medium heat until it’s browned. Quickly transfer it to an ice bath to cool it down.

3. In an electric mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, honey, and vanilla seeds. Use the whisk attachment to mix until fully combined and aerrated.

4. Add the flour and ground almonds and mix again.

5. Slowly pour in the cooled burnt butter and mix until it’s all incorporated.

6. Grease the tart tins with butter and pour the mixture into each one using a measuring jug for precision.

7. Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a rack.

Poached Peaches:

1. Cut the peaches into quarters.

2. In a saucepan, combine the peaches, sauternes, cardamom pods, orange zest, and honey.

3. Bring the mixture to a medium-high simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

4. Halfway through, remove the peaches and set them aside.

5. Let the liquid reduce down to a syrupy consistency and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Mascarpone Coconut Cream:

1. Place a mixing bowl over an ice bath (or chill the bowl in the freezer for a bit). Add the cream and mascarpone. Whisk until thick and creamy.

2. Reserve the desiccated coconut for later and thinly slice some fresh peaches.

Assemble the Dish:

1. Pop the sponge out of the tins and place them on a plate. Pour some of the sweet wine reduction over the sponge so it soaks up that deliciousness.

2. Add the sliced fresh peaches on top.

3. Spoon a dollop of mascarpone cream on the side, then sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

4. Finish with the poached peaches and a drizzle of the reduced syrup.

   
   

Top Tip: When you are mixing the egg whites, sugar, honey and vanilla seeds make sure they are fully combined and the egg whites are aerated. This will give you a perfect sponge. 

This slaps, enjoy!