Method (sponges)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line two 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 2 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter with a damp tea towel until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ along with the peach jam a/ fruit spread and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
6. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
7. Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 30-35 minutes. As the cakes are quite thick, they may need a-little more baking time. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch. If when testing the cakes, they still are wet inside, they need more baking time. Prevent burning the tops of the cakes by placing some grease proof paper over the tops while they finishing baking.
8. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack.  Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

Method (crumble)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
2. In a bowl, add in the flour, oats and sugar. Stir to combine.
3. Add in the butter, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry mixture. You don’t want to form it into a ball but break it up into a crumble. 
4. Sprinkle the crumble on the lined tray, and bake in the middle of the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown in colour.
5. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool fully at room temperature. Heat from the crumble can make the buttercream melt, so make sure it’s cold to the touch before assembling the cake. 

Method (buttercream)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and cream cheese, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and add in the vanilla. Whip on high speed for around 10 minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed. If the frosting is too thick, add some more chunks of butter. if it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy.

Method (assemble the cake)

1. Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the buttercream on the top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
2. Add a swirl of St Dalfour Peach Fruit Spread, and top with a generous sprinkle of crumble, then place the second cake layer on top. Press it down gently so it sticks. Coat the whole cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This creates a crumb coat.
3. Place the cake into the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes. You want the buttercream to be firm, this will make the final coat and applying the decorations easier.
4. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second/final coat.
5. Transfer any left over buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle.
6. Pipe a decorative swirl to the top edge of the cake (watch the video tutorial here).
7. Fill the middle of the cake with a puddle of peach jam / fruit spread. 
8. Decorate with fresh peach slices, and a sprinkle of crumble. You can also add some of the crumble up the sides of the cake in a ombre effect (as seen in the photos).
9. Slice and enjoy!