GUYS! I’ve been waiting for this day for years. YEARS. (I actually just stumbled on an old blog post of mine from 2013 where I talk about this day.) Here’s the first page: I’ve been reading this book from draft one. Nikki started writing it about 5 years ago and has been working to get it published ever since. It’s finally here!! Want to see the back? Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram It’s so good!! Check it out! I love this story so much! Did you know that authors often have very little control over the marketing aspects of their books? Including the back cover synopsis. What it doesn’t mention is that there is a frenemy-type romance that’s pivotal to the story: Cordero, super hot and mysterious gang member, who Salem’s trying to get information from (to answer questions about her sister’s death.) He’s my favorite character! I asked Nikki what recipe I should make for her book release, and she suggested something with peaches. In the book there is a union strike going on, so none of the peaches in the orchards surrounding the town are getting picked. They’re just falling and rotting. (Spoiler alert, Salem gets rotten peaches thrown at her one time. How fun is that?? Can you imagine?) Congrats Nikki! You did it! You are officially an author. Dreams do come true! Live it up! You deserve it! I will always be your biggest fan! (Well. Except Mom.) I turned it into a peach cake: yellow cake mix, peach jello, a pound of frozen peaches, and BROWN SUGAR frosting, which almost borders on caramel frosting. The jello is what makes the cake so delightfully orange (or pink, in the case of the Blackberry Cake.) The corners are my favorite part. The edges of the cake get very brown but they do not dry out. Instead they are ultra chewy, the opposite of most cakes. It’s ridiculously easy to make and it’s SO GOOD! I think it’s an amazing combo. Brown sugar + peaches, HELLO. But if you think it sounds overwhelming, you could swap out the brown sugar frosting for the cream cheese frosting that goes on the Blackberry Cake. (Omit the coconut extract.) I brought this over to my friend Sarah’s house today and she told me that she hates Jell-O and hates box mixes but she loved this cake. WIN! It’s also super rich. The cake is sweet and the frosting is even sweeter. It is the same super fudgey frosting that goes on top of Nana’s Famous Fudge Brownies, except I left out the chocolate and used brown sugar instead of white. The result is an ultra decadent, caramel-y icing. This is the frosting. Left: before ice bath. Right: post ice bath. Beat 3-5 minutes. Look. At. That. It’s so good! If you’ve never done pourable frosting before this might seem weird, but I promise you, it sets up and has the most incredible texture: soft and creamy on the inside with a light crackle where the frosting has set.
Make sure your ingredients are the correct size. If you’re using a smaller or larger box of Jello or cake mix than the recipe calls for, your cake isn’t going to turn out right. Cool your frosting. If you want your frosting to thicken to the perfect consistency, prepare an ice bath. Set the pot of frosting in the ice bath (don’t get water in the frosting!!) Let the frosting cool in the ice bath, scraping sides occasionally, until the frosting is room temperature and much thicker. Sub butter for oil. If you don’t have oil or just prefer butter, you can substitute 2 sticks of melted butter (1 cup or 16 tablespoons).
This cake freezes well; you can put individual slices into an airtight container or freeze the whole cake. Just make sure it’s well sealed so it stays fresh and delicious. Chocolate Cherry Sheet Cake with Fudge Frosting « So decadent! Strawberry Truffle Cake « You get to make a cake. And then smash it. Then add strawberries. So fun! Peach Coffee Cake from The Baker Mama Grilled Pound Cake with Warm Peach Coulis from Noble Pig Peach Breakfast Cake from Reluctant Entertainer
