Fresh Peach Shortcake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, divided
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
7 tablespoons butter or 7 tablespoons margarine, cut in to pieces and divided, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar, plus
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 fresh peaches, pitted, each cut into 12 wedges (about 1-1/4 pds)
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1 cup whipping cream, unwhipped
1 -2 tablespoon icing sugar

Preparation

Set oven to 350 degrees.
Position oven rack in lower one-third of the oven.
Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, WHISK together eggs, half and half cream, 6 Tbsp butter, lemon zest and vanilla until combined (butter will stay lumpy).
Stir in 1 cup sugar until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
Pour the batter into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until cake is light golden, and tests done.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.
Remove from pan; cool completely on a rack.
In a large non-stick skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat.
Add the peaches, cardamon, remaining sugar, ginger and nutmeg; cook, stirring often until slightly softened (about 5-7 minutes).
Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate until cooled (about 15-20 minutes).
In a bowl, beat the whipping cream with the 2 tbsp icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
To assemble the cake: cut cake into 9 squares.
Cut each square in half horizontally.
Top each cake bottom with about 1-1/2 Tbsp whipped cream, and 4 peach wedges.
Pour some pan juices over.
Place the cake top over, and garnish each with about 1-1/2 Tbsp whipped cream.