Peach Upside Down Cake

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My mouthwatering Peach Upside Down Cake showcases sweet summer peaches beneath tender almond cake. This easy dessert looks stunning and is packed with seasonal flavor.

• Tender cake, caramelized fruit: Soft, moist almond cake bakes over juicy, buttery peaches.
• Professional bakery look: This low-effort cake has a beautiful presentation—no decorating needed!
• Celebrate peak peach season! This is the perfect recipe for pick-your-own fresh peaches, farmer’s market fruit, or the piles of in-season peaches at the supermarket.
• Quick prep: Mix and assemble in just 15 minutes. This cake takes minimal effort, and the total time is about an hour!
• Perfect for summer entertaining: My peach cake is easy enough for every day, and pretty enough for a celebration.

I adore how upside-down cakes transform fruit into a melting, tender, glossy sweet layer with irresistible caramelized edges. Fruit is at its beautifully ripe best now, and using it in Peach Upside Down Cake elevates that flavor even more. Best of all, upside-down cakes are a breeze to make and have a charming, nostalgic look that everyone loves.

My top tip for this recipe is to arrange the peaches into a tight, circular pattern for the prettiest finished topping. You want to pack those peach slices in because the fruit will shrink and soften as the cake bakes, making any gaps between the slices more noticeable once the cake is inverted. For more crowd-pleasing upside down recipes, be sure to check out my Upside-Down Pineapple Cake, Upside-Down Caramel Apple Cake, and Upside-Down Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls.

Table of Contents

• What is Peach Upside Down Cake?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Peach Upside Down Cake
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Peach Recipes

What is Peach Upside Down Cake?

Peach Upside Down Cake is a fruit dessert made by baking a layer of peaches, butter, and brown sugar beneath an almond cake batter, then inverting it after baking so that the fruit becomes a caramelized topping. Skillet fruit cakes had been popular for decades, but the arrival of canned pineapple in the 1920s helped make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and other inverted fruit cakes a national craze because of their ease, seasonal appeal, and pretty presentation.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoon
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 9-inch (20-cm) round cake pan
• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Stand mixer
• Knife

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

For the Peach Topping

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar sweetens the topping.
• When heated, dark brown sugar mixes with the peach juices makes a thick, caramelized sauce that coats the fruit.
• Additionally, dark brown sugar adds a molasses note to the upside down peach cake.
• It’s easy to make brown sugar with my quick recipe.
• Substitute: You can use the same amount of light brown sugar, but the flavor won’t be as rich.

Butter

• Butter contributes to a rich, silky topping.
• Additionally, butter contributes to a delicious golden brown topping.
• You can use salted or unsalted butter here.
• Substitute: If you prefer, use 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) of melted coconut oil instead of the butter. It will add a subtle coconut flavor that complements the peaches.

Salt

• Salt balances the sweetness and amplifies the caramel flavor.

Firm, ripe peaches

• Peaches contribute floral sweetness, juiciness, and a beautiful golden color.
• As they cook, the peaches become soft, jammy, and caramelized.
• If you don’t have fresh peaches, you can use the same amount of frozen, sliced peaches.
  • Before using frozen peaches, thaw and pat dry.
  • Note that canned peaches can also be used, but they’re softer than fresh or frozen, and may not hold their shape as well.
  • If using canned peaches, pick peaches packed in juice rather than syrup, and drain well and pat dry before using.
• Substitute: You can use the same amount of nectarines, apricots, or plums.

For the Cake Batter

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour gives the cake enough structure to support the fruit topping.
• Additionally, all-purpose flour contributes to a tender crumb.
• Substitute: Use the same amount of a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, such as my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, or another gluten-free flour.

Almond flour

• Almond flour gives the cake a rich flavor and a wonderfully moist crumb.
• Importantly, almond flour makes the upside down cake with peaches tender and soft.
• Additionally, almond flour adds a subtle nutty flavor.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of finely ground almond meal.
  • You can also use additional all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour, but note that the cake won’t be as moist or flavorful.

Baking powder

• Baking powder leavens the cake and contributes to its light, fluffy texture.

Butter

• Butter contributes to a plush crumb.
• Importantly, butter adds richness and moisture.
• Substitute: Instead of butter in the cake, you can use 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) of softened coconut oil and cream it with the sugar and salt as directed.
  • Note that using coconut oil in the cake batter will likely result in a denser cake.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the cake.
• Importantly, granulated sugar helps keep the cake moist and contributes to browning.
• Substitute: For a deeper flavor, you can replace up to half of the granulated sugar with light brown sugar.
  • Note that replacing more than half of the granulated sugar will make the cake too dense.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors and keeps the cake from tasting bland.

Eggs

• Eggs bring the ingredients together to create a smooth, cohesive batter.
• Additionally, eggs add moisture and richness to this peach cake recipe.
• Substitute: You can use a flax egg here. For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water.
  • Let it stand for 5 minutes before adding to the other ingredients.

Whole milk

• Whole milk hydrates the batter and contributes richness.
• Importantly, whole milk contributes to a velvety crumb.
• Substitute: Use the same amount of an unsweetened, plant-based milk, like almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk, if you prefer.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract rounds out the flavors and adds a subtly sweet warmth.
• You can use the same amount of Vanilla Bean Paste.

How to Make Peach Upside Down Cake

Make the topping

1. Prepare to bake. Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (20-cm) round cake pan and set aside.
2. Make the topping. In a small saucepan, warm the brown sugar, butter and salt over medium-low heat until melted and simmering, then pour evenly into the bottom of the pan.

3. Arrange peaches over the topping. Arrange the peach slices in a tight circular pattern over the brown sugar syrup, starting from the center and working outward. Set aside.

Mix the Batter and Assemble the Cake

4. Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Set aside.

5. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed for 2 minutes, until well combined.

6. Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the milk and vanilla until combined.

7. Add flour mixture. Switch to low speed and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.

8. Add batter to pan. Gently spread the batter evenly over the peaches.

Bake and serve the Peach Upside Down Cake

9. Bake cake. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Cool briefly and invert cake: Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a serving plate.
11. Remove pan. After one minute, carefully lift off the pan and then let cool for at least 20 minutes.
12. Serve cake. Enjoy warm with Vanilla Ice Cream!

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Use ripe, but firm, peaches.  They’ll hold their shape when baked—overly ripe peaches will add too much juice, making the cake soggy. 
• Slice the peaches evenly. This ensures the neatest presentation and perfect peach upside.
• Arrange the fruit slices tightly. This prevents gaps when the cake bakes, creating an even, attractive top.
• Cream butter for two minutes only. In many cake recipes, it’s important to cream the butter on medium-high speed for a longer time, but for this cake, I recommend a shorter creaming time to incorporate less air into the batter. This shorter creaming time creates the proper cake texture that holds up well to the juicy peaches.
• Make your own almond flour. If you don’t have almond flour, learn how to easily make your own here.
• Don’t overmix the batter.  Once the flour is added, mix just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
• Check your pan height. Most cake pans are 2 inches (5 cm) high, and you need that height because this cake rises all the way to the top.
  • If your cake pan is shallower, you can bake this in a higher-sided springform pan: butter the pan and line ¾ of the way up the sides with parchment to stop any syrup from leaking. Bake on a lined baking sheet to catch any drips.
• Turn the pan over after 10 minutes. Do not let it sit for too long before inverting so that the cake releases easily.
• Invert your pan if the cake is sticking. Let it sit inverted for a minute, and the fruit will release naturally.
• I don’t advise freezing this cake. When the cake defrosts, the thawed fruit will make it soggy.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-ahead tips

• You can bake this cake one day ahead.
  • Invert the cake, remove it from the pan, let it cool completely, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
  • Bring to room temperature before serving.

How to store leftovers

• Store leftover peach cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
• I don’t recommend freezing leftover cake, as it will be soggy.

FAQs

Can I make peach upside-down cake gluten-free?

• Yes, you can make this peach upside-down cake gluten-free.
• Simply replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, or another gluten-free flour.

How do I make this peach cake without eggs?

• Yes, you can make this peach cake without eggs.
• For each egg, use a flax egg instead. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water.
• Let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the batter.

What are some great ways to serve this upside-down peach cake?

• This is perfect with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or Honeycomb Ice Cream on top of the cake.
• Serve this peach cake alongside a bowl of Whipped Cream or Crème Fraiche.
• For a lighter accompaniment, pair slices of the cake with Greek yogurt mixed with honey.
• Put out a pitcher of Caramel Sauce with this peach dessert for a dreamy combination.

More Peach Recipes

• Best Ever Peach Cobbler
• Peach Hand Pies
• Easy Peach Tart
• Peach Tarte Tatin
• Best Peach Pie