Peach Upside Down Cake

Lightly spiced and perfectly soft with juicy, sweet peaches on top, this peach upside down cake is a perfect way to celebrate the end of sweet summer days as we jump into the next school year. This peach cake is lovely served warm and paired with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

I don’t know about you, but I’m not quite ready for summer to end. I mean technically summer doesn’t end for another month, but once school starts back, it feels like fall is officially on its way. If you’re like me and want to savor a few more weeks of summer, then you need to make this peach upside down cake. This cake is almost like a cross between fall and summer; its the perfect way to reminisce on the summer behind us while looking forward to a lovely fall season ahead! Fresh peaches in a sugary syrup provide a summery taste, while a lightly spiced cake hints of apple pie and colored leaves. In my opinion, this dessert is the BEST way to end the summer on a positive note. Oh, and don’t forget the whipped cream! You’ll need it 😀

Ingredients You Need

All-Purpose Flour~ In this recipe, only white flour will result in a light, fluffy cake. I would not recommend making any substitutions.

Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt~ Baking soda and powder are needed for achieving a light crumb while salt is necessary for flavor.

Cinnamon and Nutmeg~ These spices add such a lovely flavor that complement the peaches very well.

Brown Sugar~ You will need brown sugar in order to achieve a syrup on top of the cake.

Peaches~ You will need three large, fresh peaches for this recipe. You can also substitute nectarines instead. I choose to leave the skin on the peaches, but if you don’t like peach skin, feel free to peel them. I slice my peaches into 1/4 inch thick slices.

White Sugar~ White sugar is important for providing the cake with sweetness and structure. I would not make any substitutions.

Butter~ I use salted butter in this recipe, but you can use unsalted butter too. Just add a pinch more salt to the butter when you cream it with the sugar. I haven’t tried dairy-free butter sticks, but those typically work pretty interchangeably with real butter, so let me know if you try this and it works.

Vanilla Extract~ For well-rounded flavor, it’s important to use pure vanilla extract in your cake batter.

Whole Milk~ I recommend using whole milk for the most tender crumb in your cake. Lower fat or nonfat milk will result in a dryer texture. I’ve also used whole buttermilk and this works well too.

Sour Cream~ Full fat sour cream works best in this recipe, but plain Greek yogurt will also work in a pinch.

Eggs~ Eggs are important for the correct structure of the cake, so I don’t recommend making any substitutions.

The Dance

To assemble the peach upside down cake, start by adding the brown sugar to a 9 inch cake pan and spread out evenly. Arrange your peach slices in a circle, starting with a layer in the middle and then doing another circle of peaches around the center circle. Whisk together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer or handheld beaters, cream together the softened butter and white sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla. Alternate the dry ingredients with the milk and sour cream until a thick batter forms. Gently spread the batter evenly over the arranged peaches and then bake until golden. View the video below for a recipe visual:

I will have to admit that writing my last summer post for the year makes me a bit sad. Granted, I did take a long break over the summer so I only did two summer posts lol. But still, I just can’t believe that the middle of August is here! The next time you see a new post it will likely be September and I already have a delicious recipe lined up for you! Until then, enjoy these last few weeks of summer. Make peach upside down cake and watch sunsets. Enjoy time spent with family and friends, and truly make the most of this season as we transition to fall next month. Happy dancing, friends 🙂

Needing more summer recipes before the season is over? Check out some favorites below:

Peach Cheesecake Smoothie

Mixed Berry Pretzel Salad

Healthy Blueberry Crumble Bars

Pineapple Paradise Pie

Peach Upside Down Cake

Lightly spiced and perfectly soft with juicy, sweet peaches on top, this peach upside down cake is a perfect way to celebrate the end of sweet summer days as we jump into the next school year. This peach cake is lovely served warm and paired with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 large peaches, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 8 tbsp salted butter*, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream full fat
• 1/3 cup whole milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 °F and cut a circle of parchment paper to fit inside the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with cooking spray or a little oil or melted butter.
• Add the brown sugar to your prepared pan and use your fingers or a spoon to spread the sugar out evenly. Arrange your peach slices in the pan starting by making a circle of overlapping slices in the center, then do another circle of overlapping peach slices around the center circle. You want to make sure the slices overlap as much as possible so you don't have a lot of batter come through the cracks between the slices when the cake bakes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or using handheld beaters, cream your softened butter and white sugar about 2 minutes, or until pale in color and fluffy. Add your eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
• Alternate adding half of the flour mixture, then the sour cream, the other half of the flour mixture and finally the milk. Mix until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The batter will be thick.
• Gently spread the batter evenly on top of your arranged peaches before placing in the oven. Bake 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before running a knife around the edges of the pan and flipping the cake out onto a plate. Serve immediately with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Notes

* You can also use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt when you are creaming your butter and sugar together.

**This cake will keep two days on the counter, and then three more days in the refrigerator.

Keyword peaches, summertime, upside down cake