Summer Peach Cake (with Fresh Peaches)

Enjoy the warmth and comfort of this homemade Peach Cake, bursting with the juicy sweetness of fresh peaches. The tender, moist crumb is infused with cinnamon and nutmeg and each bite delivers a delightful combination of textures, from the soft cake to the tender peach chunks, all topped with a delicate crunch of cinnamon sugar. This simple yet elegant cake is the perfect way to celebrate the abundance of summer's harvest.

About This Peach Cake Recipe

I look forward to peach season every year because I love baking with peaches. One peach variety stood out this year and it's called Sweet Dream. I bought this peach every week for several weeks and they were the sweetest peaches I've ever had, which led me to make this easy peach cake.

This peach cake is a single-layer cake that's so simple you can make it for yourself during the week when you feel like baking or serve it for a special occasion. You'll love the cinnamon-infused moist cake with its open crumb. I add two layers of peaches to the cake, guaranteeing you'll get a taste of peach in every bite.

For more desserts with fresh peaches try my recipes for Peach Crumble Pie, Peach Tartine made with roasted peaches and whipped ricotta, or my Peach Bourbon Upside Down Cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Moist Peach Cake

Here are the key ingredients you'll need for this lovely summer peach cake recipe. The key thing to remember for this cake is to taste your peaches before you start baking. They should be sweet or sweet with a faint tartness. If the fresh peaches don't taste good or are mealy, I suggest using frozen peaches that have been thawed instead.

• Fresh Peaches: The peaches are layered in the center and on top of the cake to ensure the maximum peach flavor.  I prefer fresh peaches to frozen because the skin on the fresh peaches adds flavor to the cake. Taste the peaches before using them to ensure they taste good and are somewhat sweet. I once bought apricots that had no flavor and tasted awful.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds fat, flavor, and moisture to the cake.  Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the final bake. The butter should be at room temperature (65-68°F) before mixing it into the batter.
• Sour Cream: The acid in the sour cream helps create a nice, tender, velvety cake crumb and adds a slight tang to the cake.  Make sure to use full fat sour cream and not the reduced fat or light versions. You may be tempted to use whole milk yogurt as a substitute but I recommend not doing that because yogurt has less fat than sour cream and the final texture may not be the same.

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make This Peach Cake

Make sure to taste your peaches before you start this recipe. The peaches should be sweet or sweet with a small hint of tartness. Unfortunately, I've had peaches that tasted like cardboard and had no flavor. If that is the case, don't use them.

Step 1: Prepare the 9-inch springform pan.  Remember to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. The paper ensures the bottom of the cake doesn't stick to the pan.

Step 2: Place the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to ensure the ingredients are well combined.  Set aside the flour mixture until ready to use.

Step 3: Place the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until it’s creamy

Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time.

Step 5: Add half the dry ingredients and mix at low speed.

Step 6: Add half the sour cream and mix on medium speed. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until incorporated. 

Step 7: Add half of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.  Use an offset spatula to smooth and even out the top of the batter.

Step 8: Arrange the peaches on the top of the batter, arranging them around the edge of the pan.  Sprinkle a portion of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the peaches.

Step 9: Add the remaining cake batter and layer the remaining peaches on top. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top.

Though it may be tempting, don't overcrowd the top with the peaches. There needs to be plenty of room for the cake to rise and thoroughly bake.

Step 10: Bake the cake until the cake is risen, and the internal temperature registers about 200°F (93°C) using an instant-read thermometer.

Step 11: Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely before serving it.

What to Serve With This Peach Cake

You'll find this peach cake incredibly moist, and the peaches perfectly balance the sweetness. I love eating it with additional fresh peaches and a cup of hot Earl Grey or Assam tea. You can also enjoy it with a cup of coffee. For a little extra indulgence top it with mascarpone whipped cream.

How to Store This Cake

Enjoy this peach cake fresh for the best flavor, but if you have leftovers, here's how to store them:

• Room Temperature: Because of the fresh peaches on top of the cake it should only be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day covered with plastic wrap or placed in a cake container. After the first day, place the covered cake in the refrigerator.
• Refrigerator: Place the cake in an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When serving the cake, bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Recommended Baking Equipment

9-inch Springform Pan: This is the best type of pan to use for this recipe. It's high enough to hold all the batter and you'll be able to release the cake from the pan without mushing the top.

​Pro Tips to Ensure A Successful Bake

• Use a food scale to weigh your ingredients, especially the flour and the peaches to ensure you don’t have too much or too little of either .  Weighing the butter is the best way to ensure you have the right amount, and weighing the sour cream is easier than using a measuring cup.
• Taste the peaches before you start the recipe.  The caveat to baking with fresh peaches is that the taste can vary from the perfectly sweet to tasting like cardboard, which is why it's important to taste your fruit before you start baking. If the peaches don't taste good plain they won't taste good in this dessert.
• Use room-temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream which is 65-68 degrees F.  Cold butter won’t mix or aerate well, and cold eggs will result in a stodgy cake.  Cold sour cream can cause the cake batter to curdle.

If you make this moist and delicious peach cake made with fresh peaches please leave a rating and a comment below.

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Summer Peach Cake (with Fresh Peaches)

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Cooling Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Celebrate the end of summer with this delightful single layer peach cake made with fresh peaches. The cake is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and vanilla extract adds an aromatic sweet note. This cake is simple enough for a mid-week baker, and impressive enough to make for a special occasion.

Servings: 10 servings

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Cheryl Norris

Equipment

• ▢
  9-inch Springform Pan
• ▢
  5-Qt Stand Mixer
• ▢
  Digital Scale
• ▢
  Chef's Knife
• ▢
  Silicone Spatula

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• ▢ 3 tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Cake

• ▢ 2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour sifted
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature (65-68 degrees F)
• ▢ 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 large (100 grams) large eggs room temperature (65-68 degrees F)
• ▢ 1 cup (242 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
• ▢ 1 pound (454 grams) fresh peaches cut into large chunks

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prep the Cake Pan

• Butter and flour the sides and bottom a springform pan. Line the bottom with a 9-inch round piece of parchment paper.

Peach Cake Batter

• Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for the cinnamon sugar topping and set it aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk for 30 seconds to ensure the ingredients are well combined and that the baking powder and baking soda are well distributed throughout the flour.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Cut the peaches into 1/2-inch wide wedges and then cut the larger pieces in half.
• Place the unsalted butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Start the mixer on low and mix for about 20 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is creamy and slightly lighter in color, about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until the egg is fully incorporated into the creamed butter and sugar.
• Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low until the flour is incoporated. There may be some flour on the sides of the bowl, which is okay. Add all of the sour cream and mix on medium until the sour cream is in incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl once more to ensure the batter is well mixed. For stand mixers ingredients often settle on the bottom and don't get completely mixed in with the other ingredients which is why it's important to scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix in any unmixed ingredients by hand.
• Pour half the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth it into an even layer. Spread half of the peaches across the batter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the peaches and cake batter. Add the remaining batter and spread it across the top as evenly as possible. Arrange the remaining peaches across the top. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the peaches and exposed cake batter.
• Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes. The cake is done when the top is a golden brown, center no longer jiggles when you touch the top with your finger, and cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean with no more than a few crumbs clinging to it. If there is any wet batter on the cake tester, the cake is not done. The internal temperature at the center of the cake should be 200-205° F. Use an instant-read thermometer to perform a temperature check.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Run an offset spatula around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the springform pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely, before slicing and serving.

Storing the Cake

• Because of the fresh peaches on top, the cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 day. To store it in the refrigerator, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Weighing the Ingredients: Use a food scale to weigh your ingredients, especially the flour to ensure you don’t have too much or too little of either . Weighing the butter is the best way to ensure you have the right amount, and weighing the sour cream is easier than using a measuring cup.

Large Eggs: Use large eggs that weigh 50 grams each without the shell. If using different-sized (jumbo or small) eggs or cage-free eggs, weigh your eggs (without the shell) to ensure you have the right amount.

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

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