Warm Peach Cake

I’ve always loved the simplicity of snack cakes. They’re easy to make, they sit on the kitchen counter and they seem to get better as the days go on. While they make a great snack or dessert, they’re not too heavy and sugary to be discounted as breakfast.

This peach cake is everything good about a snack cake and more. The tender cake holds up fresh peaches that have been tossed in brown sugar and butter. They’re baked right into the cake, and are so sweet and juicy that they’re basically an alternative to frosting. I love peach cake with a cup of coffee, but after 5 o’clock, it’s best with a glass of riesling.

Ingredients for Peach Cake

• Butter: Soften the butter at room temperature for 30 minutes so it creams nicely with the sugar.
• Sugars: This peach cakes uses both granulated sugar and brown sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens the cake, and brown sugar sweetens the peaches even more and helps them caramelize. If you’d like, you could swap the granulated sugar for brown sugar in the cake for more caramel flavor.
• Egg: Take the egg out of the fridge with the butter. These two ingredients both need to come to room temperature. Feel free to use an egg substitute here. I love using flaxmeal as a cheap egg replacement.
• Extracts: The delicate, floral flavors of vanilla and the nuttiness of almond are naturally found in peaches, so adding those flavors in extract form accentuates the peaches.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour creates structure, a tender crumb and a cake that will hold up well for several days.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon and peaches go together like peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and raspberries, or tomatoes and basil. They make the peach cake feel cozy.
• Buttermilk: Skip a trip to the store and make buttermilk at home! All you need is milk (whole, 2% or skim) and lemon juice or white vinegar.
• Peaches: Peel the peaches before starting this peach cake recipe. If they aren’t super ripe yet, ripen the peaches by closing them together in a brown paper bag. Leave the bag on the kitchen counter for a few days until the peaches have a slight “give” to them and smell fragrant.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the sugar and butter until they’re light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract.

Step 2: Create the batter

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan.

Editor’s Tip: When alternating the flour mixture with the buttermilk, I like to start and end with the flour mixture for a more stable batter. Add the flour mixture in three parts and the buttermilk in two parts.

Step 3: Add the peaches

In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar and melted butter to form a wet paste. Stir in the peaches and toss until they’re nicely coated. Spoon the peach mixture evenly over top of the cake batter.

Step 4: Bake and serve

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cake warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Editor’s Tip: Before removing the sides of the springform pan, run a butter knife or mini offset spatula around the inside of the pan to ensure the cake is no longer sticking to the edges.

Recipe Variations

• Use other fruits: Instead of peaches, feel free to use other stone fruits here, like nectarines, apricots, pitted cherries or plums. Berries work, too. If you decide to use berries, omit the brown sugar and melted butter mixture.
• Finish with extras: Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, dust it with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle on a vanilla glaze.

How to Store Peach Cake

Cover the peach cake and store it at room temperature for up to three days. It can also last in the fridge for up to five days, but know the cake will dry out a bit. Also, it tastes so much better warm or at room temperature!

Can you freeze peach cake?

Yes, you can freeze peach cake. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, wrap it in two layers of storage wrap, then place it on a flat surface in the freezer. Freeze it for up to two months, and thaw on the counter for about an hour or overnight in the fridge before enjoying it.

Peach Cake Tips

What are the best peaches for peach cake?

The best types of peaches to use for peach cake are yellow peaches. You can also use Babcock, Snow, or Belle of Georgia varieties.

Can you use canned or frozen peaches to make peach cake?

Yes, you can use canned or frozen peaches to make peach cake if fresh peaches are out of season in your area. If using frozen peaches instead of fresh, allow them to thaw completely first, then drain the excess liquid. If using canned peaches, drain the peaches, then pat them dry. These peaches are a little sweeter since they’ve been soaking in sweet syrup.

Can you bake this cake in a different sized pan?

Absolutely! If you don’t own a 9-inch springform pan, bake this cake in a 9-inch square pan, an 11×7-inch rectangular pan or 10-inch cast-iron skillet.