PEACH MELBA CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with wax paper and butter the paper; dust the pans with flour.
• 2. Cream the 3/4 cup butter and sugars in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest, and juice.
• 3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to mixture in the bowl, alternating with buttermilk, to make batter.
• 4. Scrape batter into the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack, peel off wax paper, and cool completely.
• 5. Shortly before serving, peel, pit, and slice the peaches. Toss with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside for 15 minutes.
• 6. Whip the cream with the vanilla and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar until it holds soft peaks.
• 7. Place one cake on a serving platter; spread with half the cream, then half the peaches. Cover with second cake, spread with most of the remaining cream and top with remaining peaches. Top with a dollop of cream and, if desired, a mint sprig. Serve immediately, with the Raspberry Melba Sauce on the side or drizzled over the cake.