Peach Upside-Down Cake

I haven’t baked with peaches at all this season! Time to fix that and luckily, I got my hands on a batch of really great ones, not much bruising and all of that. They were so pretty I thought the perfect way to make them the star of a cake, other than using them as is for decoration, was to turn them into an upside-down cake topping. With caramel and peach juices running through, this cake is divine! Buttery and moist with chunks of peaches in the batter itself. You know what to do!

This banana upside-down cake makes a very flexible base for pretty much any fruit you’d like to top it with. For this version, I realised I was out of white sugar, so added some brown sugar to the mix and the flavour suddenly got a thousand times better.

The peaches on top turn jammy and soft as they bake in the caramel and because I had some extra slices, I chopped them up and added them to the cake batter. More peach in every bite! When slightly warm, the topping is at its ooey gooey best and so irresistible!

Flipping over an upside-down cake can be intimidating but it’s actually very easy and turns out perfect almost always. Flip it while it’s still hot from the oven, keep pot holders or oven mitts handy and you’re good to go. Scoops of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of fresh cream on each slice are recommended of course!

Even by itself, the cake is so delicious that I don’t blame you if you decide to bake it as is, minus the peaches! It’s a very basic batter but packed with flavour, like all the best ones are. Let’s make some cake! (Lots more peach recipes right here!)

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Peach Upside-Down Cake

Moist and buttery cake with caramelised peaches on top

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Makes: 8 large slices

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Ingredients

  

For the peach topping

• 1/4 cup butter, melted (55 gms before melting)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, light or dark (70 gms)
• 2 to 3 medium peaches, thinly sliced

For the cake

• 1 and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (160 gms)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
• 125 gms butter, at room temp
• 3/4 cup caster sugar (140 gms; a mix of brown and white sugar is great too)
• 2 eggs, at room temp (see notes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup thick, plain yoghurt at room temp (150 gms)
• 1 medium peach, diced

Instructions

• First make the peach topping. Pour the melted butter into the base of a 9" springform tin. Sprinkle the sugar over the butter and spread it around evenly. Place the sliced peaches in an even layer on the sugar butter mixture. Set aside. The butter may leak out a bit in a springform tin, so make sure to place it on a baking tray to catch any drips
• Preheat the oven to 175 C.
• In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer till light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat till combined.
• Now stir in the yoghurt and flour mixture alternately, starting and ending with the flour so that batter doesn't curdle.
• Fold with a spatula or beat on low speed with the hand mixer till you have a smooth batter but do not over-mix. Stir in the peaches gently. The batter is fairly thick.
• Spoon the batter on top of the sliced peaches and smoothen the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, covering the top loosely with foil if it's browning too quickly. Bake until the top is golden-brown, and a toothpick comes out clean. It may crack a bit but will not dome.
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
• Now remove the sides of the springform tin and place a platter or sturdy wire rack (to prevent sogginess) directly onto the surface of the cake, then quickly invert. Remove the base of the springform tin and voila, you have a lovely caramelised peach topping!
• Allow the cake to cool for about an hour, then slice with a sharp knife and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream while still slightly warm. Store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Best eaten warm or at room temperature. Happy baking!

Notes

Shop this recipe: Caster Sugar, Brown Sugar, Hand Mixer, Mixing Bowl,

*Springform tins make it easier to flip the cake over, because you can place your platter directly on the surface of the cake, and then flip. You can however use a regular 9" round cake tin, gently loosening the edges of the cake with a sharp knife, before inverting the tin. I've also made this batter in a 9x5 inch loaf tin. It works well as a loaf but domes a little bit, so you may need to slice off any uneven bits.

*I haven't tried this cake without eggs, but since there is yoghurt in there, the cake should stay moist even if you omit the eggs. About 1/3 cup milk could work as a substitute, just enough to make a thick but spreadable batter. If you try it, let me know! Alternately, here's an eggless butter cake that'll also taste great with peaches.

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