Summery walnut cake with peaches

We are excited to share a new recipe with you today - this super delicious gluten-free walnut cake with poached peaches.

This cake is my absolute favorite one at the moment - thanks to the walnuts it has this slightly herb taste and is not too sweet and yet the peaches and elderflower syrup bring in the perfect amount of sweetness in contrast to that. Nora baked it last month when the peaches just started to be in season and I can highly recommend you to bake it as often as possible as long as the peach season continues - it’s really the most wonderful way to celebrate the taste of summer. Just scroll down for the recipe.
We served it as a breakfast in bed and the morning light was just pure magic that day.
We will share more images of that lovely new bedroom setting in the studio soon, but for now: happy baking!

Recipe

Walnut cake with poached peaches in elderflower syrup & mascarpone cream

Ingredients:

5 eggs (size medium or large)
1 pinch of salt
180g sugar
1 pinch of ground vanilla
120g olive oil
250g ground walnuts (or ground hazelnuts/almonds; grind the walnuts in a high-speed blender)
50g gluten-free flour mix
2 tsp baking powder
4 peaches (not too soft)
300g elderflower syrup
250g mascarpone
200g whipping cream
65g powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F (top/bottom heat). Line the bottom of the springform pan with baking paper and butter the sides. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites together with the salt for 30 seconds, then add 90g of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form for 1-2 minutes. Set aside briefly. In a second mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks together with the remaining sugar and vanilla for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Then whisk in the olive oil. Combine the ground walnuts, flour, and baking powder and stir into the egg yolk mixture in 2 batches using a silicone spatula (the batter will be quite firm; this will change with the addition of the beaten egg whites). Now fold in the beaten egg whites in 3 batches – don't overmix, just until the beaten egg whites are no longer visible. Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 50 minutes (test with a toothpick). While the cake is baking, wash the peaches, cut them into wedges (removing the pits), and place them in a small saucepan together with the elderflower syrup. Simmer with the lid on for 7-10 minutes. Then let cool (if the syrup is still very runny after cooling, remove the peaches and simmer the syrup for 2-5 minutes; for faster cooling, you can refrigerate the peaches and syrup). Next, prepare the mascarpone cream. Place the mascarpone and whipping cream in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then, in a mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone and powdered sugar together for 1 minute on a hand mixer at low speed. Then, slowly add the whipping cream and increase the speed to high. Whip the cream for about 3-5 minutes until stiff. Then, depending on the consistency and whether the cake has cooled, use the cream immediately or refrigerate it for up to one 1 hour to firm up a bit. Spread the mascarpone cream over the cake and garnish the walnut cake with peach slices and elderberry syrup.