This Peach Cake has a wonderfully dense crumb flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, and plenty of big wedges of summer peaches. A dollop of whipped cream makes the whole thing sing.
Peach season in New Jersey is A Big Deal, and we’re almost in the thick of it! Every year, when July hits, the peach farms near our house start to put out huge baskets of fuzzy peaches, and they get snapped up almost just as quickly.
There’s a little magic in these peaches. They always get ripe the right way (no mealy peaches here), and are bursting with peach flavor. Unlike your grocery store bananas and apples, peaches continue to be a special, in-season only treat. Peaches are either good or pretty terrible, and that’s because you just can’t mimic Mother Nature with this one. That’s why when peaches are in season, we buy them by the boxful. We eat them as is, in pies, in smoothies, or in this Peach Cake! We even peel them, cut them into segments, and freeze them for use during the rest of the year.
This cake recipe comes from Sarah’s Basil Berry Cake, made with mixed berries and a basil lemon sugar. The great thing about the batter itself is that it is ridiculously easy to throw together, and it makes the perfect base for multiple kinds of fruits. I betchu some thinly sliced apples, plum wedges, pitted and halved cherries, or pineapple slices would all go great with this cake!
But in the case of this particular cake recipe, we decided to go with peaches, and let’s just say it will definitely be added to our regular rotation. That hint of cinnamon and vanilla and the dense, almost tart-like crumb really brings out the peach flavors and makes the whole thing taste like a warm summer morning.
If you make this cake, you might be concerned that something went wrong with the recipe, because the volume of the batter is relatively little. The end result is less your standard big honking cake and more something suitable for pastry-esque slices alongside a cuppa afternoon tea or coffee.
Don’t let these jewels of summer go uneaten!
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that matches the bottom of the pan, and place in the pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat ½ cup softened butter. Beat in ⅔ cup sugar, and then add 2 eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest.
Add 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir on low speed until you end up with a smooth, thick batter. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan––it will be a fairly thin layer, but it will rise!
Arrange the peach wedges over the cake, and lightly press them into the batter.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. If you want an extra hit of sweetness and flavor, brush the cake with a ¼ cup of peach or apricot preserves (warm it up first by microwaving it for 20-30 seconds).
Serve warm or at room temperature––either on its own, or with whipped cream and more fresh peaches!
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Recipe
Peach Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter (1 stick)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 ripe peaches (pitted and sliced into wedges, no need to peel!)
- ¼ cup peach or apricot preserves (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that matches the bottom of the pan, and place in the pan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat ½ cup softened butter. Beat in ⅔ cup sugar, and then add 2 eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest.
- Add 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir on low speed until you end up with a smooth, thick batter. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan––it will be a fairly thin layer, but it will rise! Arrange the peach wedges over the cake, and lightly press them into the batter.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. If you want an extra hit of sweetness and flavor, brush the cake with a ¼ cup of peach or apricot preserves (warm it up first by microwaving it for 20-30 seconds).
- Serve warm or at room temperature––either on its own, or with whipped cream and more fresh peaches!
Nutrition Facts
