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Landscape image of a whole Remy Pound Cake on a copper cooling rack. A yellow ceramic basket of peach is in the right foreground.

Remy Pound Cake with Peach Topping

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: North American, Soul Food
Keyword: cognac, pound cake
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
cooling time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 14
Calories: 639kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
This moist pound cake is baked with champagne cognac and topped with a peach-cognac jam.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • wide saute pan
  • stand mixer
  • 15-cup bundt pan

Ingredients

For the Peach-Cognac Topping

  • 3 tablespoons (22 grams) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (37 milliliters) lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
  • 2 tablespoon (30 grams) unsalted butter
  • 6 large, firm (850 grams) yellow peaches peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (see post) AND separated
  • 1/2 cup (119 milliliters) cognac (Rémy Martin) or brandy
  • 1/2 cup (120 grams) packed light brown sugar

For the Remy Pound Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups Peach Topping
  • 3 cups (450 grams) cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (255 grams) sour cream room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (119 milliliters) Rémy Martin cognac (or other cognac or brandy)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (283 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups , lightly packed (465 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) kosher salt
  • 5 large eggs room temperature

Instructions

Prepare the Peach-Cognac Topping (May be done 7 days ahead and stored in the fridge)

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon, cornstarch, and the juice of the lemon. Use a whisk to stir these together until it's smooth and runny. Set this aside. 
    Separate 1 cup (235 grams) of peaches from the rest of the cut peaches.
  • Melt the butter in a 12-inch wide skillet over medium-high heat.
    Once the butter is melted, add the larger quantity of peaches to the pan. Sauté the peaches in the melted butter for 5 minutes, stirring them only once. The peaches will release their juices and begin to develop a syrup as they cook.
  • After 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium. Carefully pour the Remy into the pan, then ignite the alcohol with a long-stemmed lighter or match.
    The flame may burn blue, but often is invisible. You'll know it's ignited because it sounds like a flag flapping in the wind. The edges of the peaches will begin to caramelize from the flame.
    Don't stir or move the pan until you stop hearing that "flapping sound," which is an indication that the alcohol has burned off.
    This step usually takes 2-3 minutes.
  • Once the flame burns out, stir the peaches. Allow the liquid in the pan to simmer and reduce for 2 minutes, stirring only once during this time.
    Add the brown sugar to the pan. Stir the sugar into the peaches to create a thick syrup. Continue cooking the mixture for 1 minute, stirring gently so as not to break apart the peaches
  • Add the cornstarch-cinnamon slurry to the pan. Stir the peaches constantly while you drizzle the slurry in as it will thicken up almost immediately. 
    Cook the peaches in this thickened glaze for 30 seconds, then turn the heat off.
    Next, add the reserved peaches. Stir them into the peach topping and allow the cooked peaches' residual heat to soften the raw peaches.
    Allow the peach topping to cool completely while you prepare the Remy pound cake.   

Make the Remy Pound Cake

  • Arrange the middle rack of your oven to the bottom third of your oven (just move it one notch down).
    Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C), then generously grease a 15-cup bundt pan with baking spray. Add 1 1/2 cups of the Peach Topping to the bottom of the greased pan.
    Set the pan aside while you prepare the batter.
  • Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and cinnamon three times. Set these dry ingredients aside.
    In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, Remy, and vanilla extract. Whisk these three ingredients together until smooth. Set this aside as well.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use the paddle attachment to beat the butter, brown sugar, and salt at medium speed (#4 on a KitchenAid) or high using a hand mixer for 5 minutes.
    Stop the mixer after 2 1/2 minutes and scrape down the bowl and beater. Continue mixing until the 5 minutes has elapsed, or until the mixture looks fluffy and tan in color. 
  • Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture, one at a time. Blend the egg in completely at low speed before adding the next egg; don't worry about scraping down the bowl until all of the eggs are added. 
    Once all of the eggs are blended in, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Increase the mixer's speed to medium again (or high on a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2-2 minutes, or until the mixture is an off-white color and looks like frosting.
  • Add the flour and sour cream mixtures in batches.
    Begin with 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add this to the bowl and blend it in at low speed.
    Once no flour is visible, add half of the sour cream mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl and beater down.
    Add another third of the flour mix, followed by the remaining sour cream mix. Stop, scrape, and add the remaining flour. Once the flour is incorporated, scrape the bowl and beaters down again.
    Because you want to avoid over-mixing, keep the speed on low and only mix the batter for another 30 seconds.
  • Scrape the beaters and fold the batter using a rubber spatula 5 or 6 more times to remove any large pockets of air from the batter.
    Once mixed, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan against the countertop 3 or 4 times to settle the batter down into those ridges and valleys. 

Bake then Cool the Pound Cake

  • Bake the cake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The top of the cake will be cracked, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the ring of cake will come out clean.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and cool it in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 15 minutes. This allows the cake a chance to set up and gives the peach topping a few minutes to firm up.
    Flip the cake out onto the cooling rack after 15 minutes and let it sit, inverted, for another 5 minutes.
  • Lift the pan away from the cake on the cooling rack. If the peach topping stays in the pan; just use a spoon or a spatula to scoop it out of the pan and back onto the top of the cake. 
    Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes.  
  • Spoon the remaining Peach Topping over the cake. If the topping is firm and dull-looking, heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds to loosen it up.
    Spoon it on top of the cake or serve the peach topping on the side.

Notes

Always use caution when burning off the alcohol in liquors:

  • Ensure there are no cabinets, hair, clothing, or skin over the pan or within close proximity.
  • Since alcohol is very flammable, and you should never pour it from the bottle into the pan. The alcohol can ignite and travel up the stream into the bottle, causing it to explode. Instead, measure the Remy into a small pitcher or glass to pour it into the pan quickly. 
  • Keep a lid large enough to smother the flame in case it grows too large.

Make-Ahead Instructions (for the Peach Topping):

  1. Prepare the topping as instructed and transfer it to a food storage container.
  2. Refrigerate it for up to 7 days and use as desired. 
  3. Stir the topping to smooth it out before using.
I don't recommend freezing the Peach Topping because the consistency changes slightly. 

Serving Suggestions:

Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 10 seconds to freshen up its flavor.
This cake is safe for kids to eat. Because the alcohol is burned off and baked there's minimal amounts left in the dessert. 

Storage Instructions:

Store this Remy pound cake in a covered container at room temperature in a cool area of the kitchen. 
The cake stores well at room temperature for 3 days. After that, the peaches are bound to make the cake soggy and potentially grow mold from the moisture and being covered. So it's best to enjoy it within that time or freeze it.

Freezer Instructions:

  1. Allow the cake to cool completely.
  2. Wrap the cake in a layer of plastic film (spray the part of the film that will touch the peach topping with non-stick cooking spray to prevent it from sticking too much after thawing).
  3. Freeze the cake for 2 months.
  4. Thaw the cake at room temperature and serve. The peach topping may be more runny upon thawing. 

Nutrition

Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 787IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg