Description
Caramel peach upside-down cake is a moist, buttery dessert layered with sweet, caramelized peaches on top of a tender vanilla cake. It’s an easy, elegant treat perfect for summer gatherings, potlucks, or a cozy dessert served warm with ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
For the topping:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 3–4 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (or one 15 oz can of sliced peaches, drained)
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking your cake.
- Prepare caramel topping: In a 9-inch round cake pan, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter over low heat. Stir in ½ cup packed brown sugar until combined and caramelized to create the caramel layer. Spread this mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange peaches: Arrange the peeled and sliced peaches in a circular pattern over the caramel layer, ensuring an even coverage for a beautiful presentation once inverted.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, cream ½ cup softened unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which will give the cake a tender crumb.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time into the creamed butter mixture, then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix well.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches, alternating with ½ cup whole milk. Mix gently and just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
- Pour batter over peaches: Carefully pour the batter over the peach and caramel layer in the pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula to cover all the peaches.
- Bake the cake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean indicating the cake is fully cooked.
- Cool and invert: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges to loosen, and carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate, revealing the caramelized peach topping.
- Serve: Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, optionally with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent treat.
Notes
- Use canned peaches for convenience or fresh peaches when in season for best flavor.
- For an extra flavor boost, sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg over the peaches before adding the batter.
- This cake is delicious served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
