This homemade Peach Upside Down Cake is a delicious dessert recipe made perfect with fresh summer peaches, cinnamon and vanilla.
Homemade Peach Cake
I had some juicy ripe Elberta peaches in the fridge and I was itching to make something sweet with them. I had already made this amazing Roasted Peach BBQ Chicken Bake, but I was craving a summer dessert.
I debated making my favorite Marshmallow Peach Icebox Dessert, but I only had an hour left before the kids got home and that recipe takes a bit more time and a few more dishes I didn’t feel like washing.
Peach twist on upside down cake
Instead I decided to put a peach summer twist on my Mom’s pineapple upside down recipe. I swapped out the ring pineapple for fresh peaches and left out the maraschino cherries that I never was a fan of.
I added a little almond extract and cinnamon to the cake batter to compliment the peaches. The end result was fantastic and perfect with some homemade whipped cream or ice cream.
Can I used canned peaches?
Canned peaches work as a substitution when fresh peaches aren’t in season. Use peach halves in juice. The heavy syrup will make things a bit too sweet and you will want to avoid sliced peaches so they don’t become too mushy.
Canned apricots are also a good substitution. Nothing will beat a good fresh peach though. The slight tartness and fantastic texture is unbeatable with the sweet cinnamon and vanilla cake.
What should I serve with peach cake?
This peach upside down cake is best served warm. It’s good on it’s own but it is amazing accompanied with some cool whipped cream or ice cream.
I opted for homemade whipped cream. I beat 1 c. heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla extract until it formed stiff peaks.
If you don’t want to take the extra few minutes to make your own whipped topping, then Cool Whip or ice cream are also great options. The contrast of the warm peaches and cool topping is absolutely fantastic.
Another great topping option would be some candied pecans. You could even bake some pecans into the cake, adding them to the butter and brown sugar. Add a whole pecan half in the pit of each peach for a special look in the finished cake recipe.
What pan should I bake the peach cake in?
When it comes to baking upside down cake, my Mom’s recipe calls for an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan. I have found that with the peach halves, 8 inch tends to be too difficult to bake the center all the way through without over baking the edges.
The best result for this cake will come in a 9 inch baking pan. Nonstick is preferable with the caramelized butter and sugar mixture on the bottom, but if that isn’t an option, just be sure to butter or spray the sides of the pan.
More amazing peach dessert recipes!
- Homemade peach pie
- Peach pretzel salad dessert
- Peach crumble pie bars
- Peach sorbet
- Peach & blueberry cobbler
Peach Upside Down Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 c.+ 1 Tbsp. shortening
- 2/3 c. milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract
Topping
- 1/4 c. butter
- 1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
- 3-4 fresh peaches peeled and halved
Whipped Cream
- 1 c. heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt shortening and milk. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
- Add egg and extracts; continue beating 1 minute at medium speed. Set aside cake mixture.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and stir in brown sugar.
- In 9 in. square baking pan add the butter and brown sugar mixture. Place peach halves, cut side down, over the brown sugar, pressing down firmly. Pour the cake mixture over the peaches.
- Bake 40-50 minutes at 350° or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
- Allow the cake to rest for 5 minutes. Loosen the sides with a spatula and invert onto a platter.
- In a small chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until still peaks form.
- Serve the cake warm with whipped cream. Store leftover refrigerated.
KristinWinkler says
Could you sub sliced peaches
Danielle Green says
Yes, you will get a slightly different texture, but you can sub drained peaches.
Malinda says
This cake turned out amazing!! The whole family loved it!!
Alison says
We enjoyed this with vanilla gelato! Whole family loved it.
Julie says
This was a great Sunday afternoon coffee dessert! Thank you so much for the recipe, we’ll be making it again!
Megan says
I made this for a family get together and everyone raved about it! I’ll definitely be making it again, what a delicious peach dessert!
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
This looks amazing! I love peaches SOOOO MUCH and we get those GOOD peaches down here on the SC / Georgia border and I am totally gonna try this!
Sarah says
This looks great. I love pineapple upside-down cake, so a peach version sounds perfect. Since peaches are coming into season I will have to given this a try.