A nice twist on a pineapple classic. This Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake incorporates succulent slices of fresh peaches while swimming in a pool of caramelized gooeyness. Now this, my friends, takes "delectable" to a whole new level.
Life is Pretty Peachy - Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake
I don't know about you, but life for me is pretty peachy right now! Mainly because I've been wading through several bushels of this fuzzy ripened fruit. And If I don't get something done quickly, I'm gonna have bruised mushiness on my hands. Not a pretty picture.
Time-Honored Recipes
There is something about time-honored recipes that always work in whatever age. For instance, Lemon Bars and Snickerdoodles never go out of style. But I do love to merge timeless originals with brand new tastes. So I offer you this Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake. Okay, I have to confess, guys. In all my years of baking, I've never made an upside-down cake. Crazy, right? So I literally was starting from scratch (no pun intended.) But to let you in on a little secret, I was amazed at how perfectly moist and delicious this cake turned out. It's pretty difficult to trump a pineapple upside-down cake, but this definitely tops my list.
Preparing the Gooey Caramelization
The bottom portion, soon to be the gooey top is pretty simple. A basic caramel sauce made from brown sugar and butter! How could there possibly be anything wrong with that? Melt the butter and combine it with brown sugar and pat the mixture on the bottom of an ovenproof skillet or pan. It will have the consistency of wet sand.
I used a cast-iron skillet mainly because I'm obsessed with them right now. But probably next time I'll use a pan that the sides don't curve outward. It was fine, but it could have been a little prettier when I turn it upside down. And if you know me at all, you know how I am about "pretty."
Arranging the Slices of Peaches
I didn't peel the peaches because I felt like they would hold their shape better with that little bit of bonding. I arranged them in a circular pattern in order to get as many of those sweet babies in the bottom of the skillet. I wanted the full taste and texture of peaches when I stuffed a forkful in my mouth.
Use Cake Flour instead of All-Purpose Flour
This white cake recipe has the perfect amount of density while being very light and soft. I know that sounds contradictory, but it delivers on both counts. Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour is used in this recipe and that's what makes the difference.
Cake flour is flour that has been mixed with cornstarch making it a lighter and finer texture. Also, cake flour creates a "close crumb" which basically means there are not a lot of air pockets in the cake. For an upside-down cake, you want it to be tough enough to hold up under all that sugary goo but dainty enough to almost melt in your mouth.
Vanilla Bean Seeds Add Flavor and Specks
The added bonus comes from the seeds of a vanilla bean. Boy, these little jewels come with a pretty steep price tag. But oh do they add a nice vanilla flavor along with beautiful specks throughout the cake. If you're not in the mood to splurge, the pure vanilla extract can work just as well.
The Cake Batter
Once you combine the dry ingredients, add the butter, egg, vanilla bean, and salt. Beat it until it is light and fluffy. At this point fold in the sour cream. The batter is not like a regular thin cake batter. It is a bit thick to where you have to spoon it over the peach slices then spread with a spatula.
Toothpick Test for Doneness
Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes. Every oven is different in temperature so its best to never completely rely on the suggested time. You're looking for a beautiful golden color. But the true test is a toothpick inserted in the center. When it comes out clean, you know your cake is ready to pull out of the heat. Let it sit upright in the pan for about 15 minutes.
Let's Get Flippin'
Okay, now its time to flip over this scrumptious dessert! Turn a cake platter on top of the pan. While holding both the plate and the pan with potholders, flip the cake pan over onto the platter and let stand for a few seconds. Slowly raise the cake pan until you see that the entire cake has dropped. What a gorgeous work of art that can be proudly displayed as an after-dinner dessert.
Savor the Taste of Summer
This Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake is seriously one of the moistest cakes I've ever had. And I'm not "flippin'" (again, no pun intended) kiddin' you. It's time to grab a fork, dig in and savor the taste of summer just a little bit longer.
If you like this recipe, you'll love my Caramel Apple Galette or Gingerbread Layer Cake.
One thing that makes me so happy is to hear from you. So please leave me a comment at the bottom of any of these posts and tell me what you think.
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PrintFresh Peach Upside Down Cake
A nice twist on a pineapple classic. This Fresh Peach Upside-Down Cake incorporates succulent slices of fresh peaches while swimming in a pool of caramelized gooeyness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 large Fresh Peaches, skins on and cut into wedges about ¾ of an inch
- ½ cup Butter, melted
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup Cake Flour
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 large Egg
- ⅓ cup Butter, softened
- Seeds of 1 Vanilla Bean, or 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the melted butter and brown sugar until it has a wet sand-like consistency. Pat into the bottom of a greased 10-inch oven proof skillet. Arrange the peach slices in a circular manner over the brown sugar mixture.
- Combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, butter and vanilla bean seeds to the dry ingredients. Beat with mixer until fluffy. Fold in the sour cream.
- Spoon the cake batter over the peaches and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes.
- Let the cake sit for about 15 minutes upright and then invert onto a cake stand. Let cool completely.
Notes
- Don't peel the peaches because they will hold their shape better with that little bit of bonding. I arranged them in a circular pattern in the bottom of the skillet in order to get as many slices as possible when I cut a piece.
- Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour is used in this recipe and that's what makes the difference. Cake flour is flour that has been mixed with cornstarch making it a lighter and finer texture. Also, it creates a "close crumb" which basically means there are not a lot of air pockets in the cake.
- The batter is not like regular thin cake batter that pours easily. It is a bit thick to where you have to spoon it over the peach slices then spread with a spatula.
- Every oven is different in temperature so its best to never completely rely on the suggested time. You're looking for a beautiful golden color. But the true test is a toothpick inserted in the center. When it comes out clean, you know your cake is ready to pull out of the heat.
- After it comes out of the oven, let it sit upright in the pan for about 15 minutes before turning it over.
- Turn a cake platter on top of the pan. While holding each with pot holders, flip the cake pan over onto the platter and let stand for a few seconds. Slowly raise the cake pan until you see that the entire cake has dropped.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Piece of Cake
- Calories: 555
- Sugar: 65 g
- Sodium: 368 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 76 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: peach upside down cake, peach cake recipe, upside down cake peach, upside down cake recipe
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