Peaches & Cream Upside Down Cake

Peaches & Cream Upside Down Cake - Recipe

My family was never much into pineapple so it was years before I ever tried my hand at a pineapple upside down cake. But when I finally did, it was a light switch moment: a sneaky way to infuse flavor and texture and a POV into an otherwise tasty (albeit a little boring) cake. For this recipe, I’ve opened up my aperture to include peaches, which play famously with the deep sugar and nutty butter flavors and hold their shape and texture during baking.  This gal is a Mom (aka Greta aka GG) favorite and she swears it’s like a fine wine or a great human, only getting better with age. 

For the Top/Bottom

30 pc peach slices: 3-4 whole fresh cut peaches about ½-inch thick or frozen slices

For the Caramel

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cake Batter

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

⅓ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup white chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and pan spray a 9-inch cake pan. Prep the Top (bottom) by arranging the peach slices artistically to cover the bottom of the greased pan (this will be the mosaic for all to see when your cake is fully baked).

2. Prep the Caramel: In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the ½ cup sugar. As soon as the sugar starts to melt into a translucent phase, use a sturdy, heatproof spatula to move it constantly around the pan—you want it to melt and caramelize evenly. Cook and stir, cook and stir, until the caramel is amber colored, about 3 minutes from when the sugar starts to melt, being careful to never let it burn.

3. Once the caramel has reached the target color, remove the saucepan from the heat. Very slowly and very carefully, pour in the 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. The caramel will bubble up and steam; stand away until the steam dissipates. Put the pan back on medium heat if there are clips or lumps, cooking until the sugar mixture is completely smooth. Use the heatproof spatula to stir the mixture together then drizzle this hot mixture evenly over the peach mosaic in the cake pan.

4. Prep the Cake Batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugars on medium high until fluffy and well combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed as you go. Mix in the eggs on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and mix on medium-high until well combined but much more loose, another 1-2 minutes, still scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.

5. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and use your spatula to toss only the dry ingredients on top together. Engage the paddle anew and on medium-low speed, mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the white chocolate chips until just combined.

6. Pour the cake batter over the caramel-ed peaches and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes until the cake rises and poofs, is golden brown around the edges, begins to pull back from the sides of the cake pan, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. 

7. Out of the oven, cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully invert the hot cake pan onto a plate or cake dish so the bottom peach brilliance becomes the top. (If any peaches became stubborn and stayed in the pan, just remove them gently and transfer them over to the top of the cake where they belong. There will be indentations so it will be easy!). Cool fully for another hour before slicing and serving. At room temperature in an airtight container, the cake will keep fresh for 2 weeks. This cake becomes deeper in flavor and moisture with age, so don’t be ashamed to bake it a day or two or three in advance!