A Peach of Cake

I was sitting in the front porch the other night enjoying the cool stillness of the evening and a little of "Granny's Recipe"(Peach Bandy). Listening to the cows mooing in the north pasture I let myself drift into another place and time remembering the first time I had tasted this peachy libation... I was a boy back at  my Grannies ranch, the first taste did not come in a glass but in a cake prepared by her loving hands.
I swear besides chicken, peaches where at top of her favorites list and mine to. She would go over to Fredricksburg during peach season and come home with 5 or 6 bushels. We would sit on the front porch steps tasting their sweet and slightly tart pulpy flesh with the sweet sticky juice dripping off our chins and laugh at each other... there would be pies and jam, pickled peaches, cobbler, and the wonderful peach brandy that this recipe is based on.
With a smile on my face and a powerful craving for a piece of the cake I went in the house an dug out the recipe from its hiding place. With a quick check of my pantry I set about baking up this tasty treat. Enjoy!

Prep time: 8 hrs                          Cook time: 40 -45 min          

Ingredients:

1 pt of sliced peaches with their juice
2 cups of sugar divided = 1/4 cup
2/3 cup Peach brandy
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3 tbs cornstarch
3 tsp baking powder
4 lg eggs+ 2 yokes
3/4 cup oil
1 box vanilla instant pudding
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Tools: mixer, bowls, measuring cup and spoons, bundt pan, spoon, knife, cutting board, pastry brush, wooden skewer.

Directions:

Cut peach slices in half and place in a large bowl with the juice. 1 cup of the sugar and the brandy. Cover bowl and leave on counter over night.to macerate.

Drain the peaches reserve the liquid

Preheat oven to 350º F

Prepare the bundt pan by brushing the inside lightly with shortening and coat with the 1/4 cup sugar discard and excess.

Sift together; flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and instant pudding mix. Stir in the pecan pieces.

In the bowl of your mixer add the eggs, yokes, oil, vanilla extract. Using the paddle attachment beat on med speed 2 min. Add the sugar and 1/3 cup of the reserved liquid beat 1 min reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions mixing to combine after each addition. After the first addition add  the peaches.

Spoon into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350º F 40-45 min until a wooden skewer inserted midway between the center tube and the outside of the pan comes out clean.

 Allow to cool in the pan, with wooden skewer or a long tined meat fork poke a series of holes around the perimeter of the cake and spoon 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid on to the cake's bottom. Invert the pan onto a serving plate.
 Refrigerate 4 hours prior to serving.

Serving suggestions: garnish with peach slices and whipped cream or *sweetened creme fresh

*whisk together 1 cup creme fresh  2 tbs powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla