- 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pans
- 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 4 pounds ripe peaches
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Raspberry Melba Sauce
- 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.
- 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.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to mixture in the bowl, alternating with buttermilk, to make batter.
- 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.
- Shortly before serving, peel, pit, and slice the peaches. Toss with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside for 15 minutes.
- Whip the cream with the vanilla and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar until it holds soft peaks.
- 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.