Mile High Peach Pound Cake

Peach lovers, this buttery pound cake is for you! It's packed with peaches!

Note: I used one 2 lb jar of canned peaches in heavy syrup for this recipe. Use dried peaches if you want to avoid the darker swirls from peach liquid seeping out while baking - the dried peaches will plump up in the oven. Be sure to reserve the syrup!

1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons peach extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
3/4 cup canned peaches, blended (syrup reserved)
1 cup chopped canned peaches (or 2/3 cup chopped dried peaches)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by brushing with pan coat (if using two piece pan, fit with a parchment paper square between the two pieces first). Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale, light and fluffy (about 6 minutes at medium speed). Add extracts, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup flour, beat until combined. With the mixer running on low, add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Add about half the remaining flour, beating until it just disappears. Beat in sour cream, then with the mixer running on low, mix in blended peaches. Beat in the remaining flour until it just disappears. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds at medium speed. Fold in chopped peaches to distribute them evenly. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and gently shake to settle. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips. Bake 2 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Let cool until the pan is comfortable enough to handle. (If using two-piece pan, place it over a metal can and press down to remove the outer piece first). Transfer the cake to a wire rack in two steps: first, turn the cake up on its side, then invert fully. Let cool completely.

Peach Syrup

1 cup reserved heavy syrup from peaches
Remaining peaches, for garnish

Add reserved syrup from the canned peaches to a saucepan and simmer until reduced by about half. Arrange peaches on top of cake then pour syrup over cake.