PEACH GATEAU

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas5; lightly grease and base line a 20cm round cake tin; cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence together until pale; beat in eggs, orange rind and 2 tbsp juice until smooth; fold in flour; spoon into tin, bake for 45 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean; cool for 10 minutes in the tin; peel off lining paper and cool completely

put 300ml water and 125g caster sugar into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved; add vanilla pod and simmer for 10 minutes; place peach halves, cut side up, in the hot syrup and leave for 1 minute, remove from the syrup with a slotted spoon and allow to cool; slip the skin off the peaches; remove vanilla pod and reserve syrup; cut 4 peach halves into wedges and leave the others whole

put mascarpone cheese, remaining 75g sugar and liqueur into a bowl and beat together until thick and creamy; beat the cream until still and fold into the mascarpone mixture; cut the cake into 3 equal layers and drizzle 6 tbsp reserved syrup over; arrange peach wedges over two layers of cake; spoon 1/3 of mascarpone mixture over top of peaches, layer one on top of the other; spread apricot jam over top layer of sponge and lift on to other layers; transfer to a serving plate

spread remaining mascarpone mixture around the edge of gateau; arrange peach halves on top of apricot jam

put remaining reserved syrup into a saucepan and sprinkle arrowroot over; heat gently, stirring until thick and glossy; brush over the top of the peaches; allow to cool completely before serving