I had a bag of fresh freestones and used 2 to make a puree. I added 1/2 to a cake flour-based scratch cake and added the rest to my basic buttercream recipe (1 stick butter, 1/2 cup shortening, tablespoon butter vanilla emulsion, 2 tablespoon milk, 1 bag of powered sugar). the bc has a peach tint but no peach flavor and neither does the cake! I'm so disappointed. what should I have done? is there an extract I should have used? I was afraid to add more peaches to either altering the recipes too much, although the cake probably could've withstood it. any suggestions? peach jello? nectar?

How disappointing, to have used delicious, fresh peaches and end up with a lackluster cake! You might try, (as I have done with some other flavors), to heighten the flavor by using a little Lorann oil.
https://www.lorannoils.com/c-6-super-strength-flavors.aspx

They have a large selection of flavors, in addition to peach, and I frequently find use for them in cakes, frostings and pies.

By the way, I wish I had your bag of peaches. Raccoons, combined with a devastating blight on top of a severe drought, wiped out the harvest on my 4 Elbertas! They are one of my favorite fruits.

Jan

If I understand, you used two peaches in the whole cake? One in the batter and one in the frosting?

If that is correct, I don't thing you have enough flavor. I would have taken at least a half dozen and pureed them, cooked them down to almost a concentrate. I would have used that for the batter and the frosting.

I would also have had some fresh puree sitting in the fridge getting all flavorful. That would have been added to the cake in between the layers or served as a sauce.

I would also have added fresh slices glazed with puree to the top.

You can still save it with a nice fresh puree and some fresh sliced fruit.

Oh, you are so right. I didn't read the OP correctly. I don't think there really were enough peaches and it is so true about cooking the peaches down to concentrate the flavor. I do that with strawberries and it definitely concentrates the flavor in the cake.

I still wish I had some fresh peaches right now. Y'all have my mouth watering.

Jan

I agree, it takes quite a few peaches to get strong peach flavor. The puree (and/or reduction) is the best way in my opinion. You just have to adjust your recipe to handle it.

I have also had success with quickly par boiling the peaches before using them in the cake in some sugar water. Then have a few that are left longer in the water. Remove the peaches and bring the sugar water to a confection (at least 23, creating a syrup to use in the batter.

I think cooking the puree down is a good idea. I have a peach cupcake that I call the Drunken Peach, I use 2 fresh peaches chopped fine and soak them in peach wine that I use in place of my milk. If I know I'm going to make them, I do let them sit in the wine for a few hours covered at room temp. But it's also costly when using the wine, but oh so good.

I would have taken at least a half dozen and pureed them, cooked them down to almost a concentrate. I would have used that for the batter and the frosting

Thanks all. Yes I guess I should have added more. And Jan: Jersey peaches had a banner year (because of the heat). sorry to make you jealous!