Ripe slices of fresh peaches coated in a buttery brown sugar mixture with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg and a thick layer of cake to hold it all in place is a brilliant summer dessert made in about 40 minutes. Nothing like a peach upside down cake for when the world is just feeling...well...upside down these days.
Here it is Friday, and I'm still wondering what happened to the rest of the week. What did I accomplish? Did my kids do anything besides play in water and eat snacks? No, no, I don't think so.
This peach upside down cake definitely makes the cut for one of my favorite summertime desserts. I made a blood orange upside down cake in the winter time (because upside down cakes know no season), but I've been wanting to experiment with a different cake recipe that was even easier (read: no mixer required).
The cake part of this recipe has been adapted from the New York Times but instead of going through the trouble of making a caramel coating, my easier method of melting butter and sprinkling a healthy amount of brown sugar on the bottom of the pan (which becomes the top) is much preferred.
The result is a very moist, fresh and easy peach cake. From start to finish -- this cake only takes about 40 minutes to whip together.
Who Doesn't Love a Good, Fresh Peach Cake in Summertime?
Peaches are at their peak right now, so let's use up the remaining summer produce! This peach cake is best when the peaches are not overripe (because sometimes overripe peaches produce too much liquid) but also not overly underripe peaches either.
Ripe peaches are easiest to peel, too. If you're having trouble cutting the peel off with a paring knife, they're likely over or under ripe.
No Equipment Necessary
This isn't an IKEA bookshelf you're putting together here. No additional tools are required. 😂
This peach cake doesn't even require a mixer. You need two bowls: one for dry and one for wet ingredients. And a spoon. You need something to stir the cake mix. That's all (except for the actual cake pan, of course).
How to Make a Peach Upside Down Cake
First, preheat oven and get your cake pan greased and lined with parchment paper.
Coat bottom of pan with melted butter and sprinkle brown sugar all over. Place peach slices in concentric circles around the pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and sour cream. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a spoon until fully combined.
Pour batter gently on top of peaches, bake and let cool for 10 minutes before taking out of the pan to enjoy!
Tips for a Beautiful Peach Cake
- Start lining peaches on the outside of your cake pan first. Once you line the outer edges, you can get a better feel for what pattern you want to do in the middle.
- Spray the bottom of your pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom of your cake pan with parchment paper. You're taking all the precautions so the cake will come out of the pan without any fuss.
Flip, Baby, Flip
Flipping your cake over may be the hardest part of this entire recipe because it’s difficult to be precisely patient and wait EXACTLY 10 minutes — NO SOONER OR LATER! I’m yelling because this is critical.
If you flip your pan over too soon, the cake doesn’t have time to set and the whole thing will come apart. If you flip your cake any later, the toppings will stick to the top of the pan and may not come out neatly.
I’ve found that 10 minutes is pretty much the magic time period to wait before flipping your cake onto a cake plate or flat platter.
Try These Other Fruit Desserts
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Semi Homemade Banana Pudding
- Meyer Lemon Curd Tart with Shortbread Crust
- Easy Homemade Lemon Curd
- Blueberry Pie
As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Peach Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large peaches, peeled and cut in ½" slices
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 9" round cake pan (with at least a 2" height). Line bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Add melted butter onto the bottom of cake pan. Sprinkle with ½ cup of brown sugar. Start in the middle and place peach slices barely overlapping each other on concentric circles around the pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and sour cream. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a spoon until fully combined.
- Pour batter gently on top of peaches, making sure that batter is spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before flipping onto a serving platter.
Lori
So giving this one a try! Looks amazing!
Kendell
Looks great! This sounds like an intersting cake mix with the only fat coming from the sour cream. I'll have to give it a try.
Kris
I made this today for my quilt bee, not a crumb left! Everyone wants the recipe. It was so easy, I had wild peaches, they were not so pretty but really good in this. Also I used crème fresh in stead of sour cream and it worked out fine. It was gone before I thought about a photo.
Going to try it with other fruits. Thanks, Kris
Kathryn
Thanks, Kris! I love that it was gobbled up before you could even grab a picture. Thanks for supporting me!
<3,
Kathryn