Easy Peach Upside Down Cake

Juicy ripe peaches in brown sugar caramel with a moist vanilla butter cake and a hint of lemon zest – this Easy Peach Upside Down Cake is the perfect one-bowl summer cake!

This post is sponsored by Brown Cow Yogurt. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the high quality brands that make Lion’s Bread possible.

When are peaches in season?

I’m a California girl, which makes me a huge peach connoisseur/snob, haha. The thing is, when you grow up eating tree-ripened fresh peaches that have been picked that same day, there’s no comparison to the flavor and texture. I don’t mean to be hyperbolic, but it’ other-worldly.

That being said, late-July to August is prime peach, nectarine, and plum season. The stone fruits ripen in the hot California (or Georgia) sun, which develops their natural sugars and juiciness. Your local grocery stores should have them towards the front of the produce section since they are very seasonal. EVEN BETTER, try to go to your local farm stands to see if you can get peaches that are grown locally. Their flavor will likely be better, and they probably won’t have the mealy texture that peaches get after they’ve been transported in refrigerated trucks cross country.

How to bake with fresh peaches

Let’s start with how to choose the best peaches to bake with! There’s certain etiquette when choosing ripe peaches. You shouldn’t really squeeze them, because they bruise very easily! But you can press the surface of the peel ever so gently to see if the flesh underneath “gives” at all. If the peach is rock hard, leave it! It won’t have any sweetness or depth of flavor. If the flesh is mushy, leave it! The peaches will cook down into a soupy texture, and you won’t see the defined pattern on top of your Easy Peach Upside Down Cake.

Try find the peaches that give just slightly when pressed, and smell fragrant, like a peachy perfume! Handle them very gently, I usually place the bag in the upper level of my cart with the eggs and bread so that they don’t get squished under heavier items.

Always be sure to wash your fruit very well! Some recipes will ask you to peel the peaches before your slice them. This is totally a personal preference. If I’m adding fresh peaches to a crisp or a crumble, I usually peel them using a very sharp vegetable peeler. My favorite peeler is made by Kuhn Rikon, and you can get it here.

For a fruit tart or galette, I often leave the peel on because it’s more of a rustic dessert, and no one minds the peel, but you do you!

How to make Peach Upside Down Cake

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. We really want to highlight the natural flavor and sweetness of impossibly ripe summer peaches here.

First you’ll make the topping. The “topping” of the cake is made with granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and peaches. The butter and sugars cook to make a very simple caramel. While the cake is baking, the simple caramels cooks with the natural juices of the peaches to create the dreamiest peachy caramel-y topping. I arrange the sliced peaches artfully in the bottom of the prepared baking pan, then pour the caramel over the top.

Since the peach topping is the star of the show, the cake underneath is simple, but not boring at all. We’re using great high quality European style butter, fresh organic farm eggs, and super rich Brown Cow Whole Milk Cream Top Yogurt for this rich buttery cake. I like to add in a bit of freshly grated nutmeg and well as lemon zest to highlight the flavor of the peaches even more, without overpowering them. The batter will be a bit thick, so use a small offset spatula to smooth it out and level the top.

All that’s left to do is bake the Easy Peach Upside Cake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Allow the cake to cool for only 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a large plate. This part can be tricky, because you have to release the cake while the caramel on the bottom is still liquid and hot. If you wait too long, the cake won’t release because the caramel has set up.

Use oven mitts or a kitchen towel in each hand, so you don’t burn your fingers!

easy peach upside down cake ingredients

how to arrange your peach slices

cake batter smoothed over the peaches and caramel

Ingredients for Peach Upside Down Cake

• butter – I’m using unsalted butter because I really want to be able to control the amount of saltiness in this upside down cake. We’re melting the butter here, but allow it cool for at least 15 minutes before mixing it into the rest of the wet ingredients.
• eggs – for all of my recipes I use large AA organic eggs. Better yet, try to find some fresh local eggs. Their yolks should be bright orange, and they add incomparable richness to any bake.
• Brown Cow Whole Milk Cream Top Yogurt – this is the creamiest, dreamiest yogurt. The whole milk cream top adds so much richness to the crumb of this cake, and keeps it super moist. I use the plain flavor but you could absolutely use vanilla as well.
• brown sugar – what is the difference between brown sugar and granulated sugar? Brown sugar has molasses added to it. Molasses is a sugar-derived syrup that gives brown sugar its signature color, and caramel flavor.
• unbleached all purpose flour – I always use unbleached all purpose flour in my recipes. Specifically King Arthur Baking Company. I really appreciate their attention to quality and detail, I love the consistent results.
• kosher salt – I use Morton’s kosher salt in all of my recipes. The saltiness of a recipe is actually very important, especially in desserts. It doesn’t make this cake salty, rather enhances the other flavors of the upside down cake.
• pure vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract pairs really well with the caramel flavors in this cake. Always use PURE vanilla extract, not imitation varieties. Their flavors tend to be overwhelming and very artificial tasting in my opinion.
• ground nutmeg – This sneaky little spice adds such a delicious subtle spice note to the cake that pairs beautifully with the peaches, and the lemon zest. Use freshly grated nutmeg if possible, but ground nutmeg will work too.
• fresh lemon zest – such a crucial ingredient that really makes this cake! The fresh lemon zest adds so much brightness and subtle lemon essence to the batter. The perfect counter to the richness of the caramel. Grate the lemon fresh, right into the bowl with the rest of the wet ingredients.
• peaches – this goes without saying, but I’ll say it. Use only the freshest, ripest, in-season peaches that you can get your hands on. Peak peach season is usually mid-July to August. Try to get local peaches if you can, or tree-ripened California peaches.

Want more Peach recipes? Check out:

Summer Fruit Tart

Any Fruit Crisp

Additional Upside Down Cake flavor options

You can totally get creative here! Swap in nectarines, plums, pineapple, apples or pears! You can also add a total of 1.5 teaspoons of warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, or cardamon to the cake batter for a more Fall – inspired cake.

Make sure to tag me @lions.bread on Instagram and comment below if you make this easy peach upside down cake. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

Make this cake? Leave a comment below!

5 from 1 vote

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Easy Peach Upside Down Cake

Juicy ripe peaches in brown sugar caramel with a moist vanilla butter cake and a hint of lemon zest - one bowl easy summer cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, easy cakes, easy dessert, peach, peaches, summer desserts, upside down cake

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 1 9" cake

Ingredients

Topping

• 3 large ripe peaches thinly sliced, in about 8 slices each
• 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• pinch of kosher salt

Cake

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Cow Whole Milk Cream Top yogurt
• 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9” cake pan with a parchment paper circle. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the sliced peaches in the bottom of the pan in a spiral or shingled pattern. Set aside.

2. Melt the 8 tablespoons of butter for the cake in a small saucepan, or the microwave. Remove from heat, and place in a small heatproof bowl to cool slightly. Set aside.

Make the cake

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and granulated sugar. Whisk well. Add the melted butter, Brown Cow Cream Top Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, vanilla extract, and freshly grated lemon zest, then whisk well until thoroughly combined.

2. To the bowl, add the all purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine until no patches of dry flour remain. The batter should be pretty thick.

Make the caramel

1. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Begin melting the butter, and add the brown sugar and pinch of kosher salt. Use a whisk to stir the brown sugar into the butter. Cook until the butter melts completely, and the brown sugar dissolves, this should take about 3 minutes. Keep whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and boil. Boil on medium heat for another 1 minute. Pour the hot caramel directly over the peaches in an even layer.

2. Pour the batter over the top of the caramel and peaches. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the batter into an even layer.

3. Bake for a total of 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan in the oven halfway through, for an even bake on both sides. The cake should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick should come out clean, and hot.

4. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes on the countertop. Then place a large plate on top of the cake pan. Be sure to wear oven mitts for the flip! Invert the cake onto the plate. Carefully remove the pan, pour any remaining juice from the pan over the top of the cake. Allow to cool completely before serving.

5. Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow the cake to come back to room temperature before enjoying.

The post Easy Peach Upside Down Cake first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog.