Our peach season is winding down, and so I whipped up this cake before they are all gone. When I was growing up, my mom always made a pineapple upside down cake that we thought was fabulous. My husband though, grew up in Hawaii and will only eat pineapple if it’s very fresh. Give him peaches in a cobbler, and you’d think you gave him the moon. Since my boys prefer cakes over cobblers, I got inventive and created this yummy upside down peach cake.
The recipe is simple. There is nothing flashy about this dessert. In fact, in all honesty, it’s not much to look at. It’s even harder to photograph. What it lacks for in looks, it makes up for in taste.
It’s a humble cake with minimal ingredients. A nice soft moist cake. Bits of gooey sugar spots here and there. It lets the peaches stand on their own. The hints of vanilla remind you how even a modest cake can send your tastebuds into overdrive.
It’s quick enough to fix too, with the longest part probably being cutting the peaches (which as you can tell by my nonuniform sizes, I haven’t mastered!). The brown parts are caramelized sugar. I made mine in a 10″ cast iron pan which let the edges crisp up nicely.
Are you a fan of the traditional Pineapple Upside Down Cake? Would you branch out with another fruit?
Peach Upside Down Cake
Prep: 30 mins | Cooking: 50 mins | Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP butter
- 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 & 1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/2 – 3 ripe medium sized peaches, peeled and sliced in thin-medium sized slices. You could use fresh peaches from a jar as well, once peaches are out of season.
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt 2 TBSP’s butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add in 1/2 cup sugar. Stirring often, allow the mixture to cook. The sugar will dissolve and the mixture will slowly turn to an amber color. Once it’s the color of caramel, remove from heat. Try to make sure the sugar/caramel coats the bottom of the pan evenly.
- 2. Add your sliced peaches to the cast iron pan, covering the caramel mixture. Make sure you have enough peaches to cover the entire pan, and some that stack on top of the others.
- 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar. Allow to sit for a few minutes to allow for the milk to take on a buttermilk flavor. Next add in the oil, egg, vanilla and sour cream, making sure to mix all the ingredients in the wet mixture thoroughly.
- 4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until it is all combined and is smooth.
- 5. Pour the cake batter onto the peaches in the cast iron pan. Make sure there is still enough room for the cake to expand (don’t fill all the way to the top!).
- 6. Bake until the cake bounces back nicely to your hand, or until a tester comes out clean. It should go for 45-50 minutes.
- 7. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- 8. Go around the edges with a sharp knife to prevent sticking. Place the serving plate on top of the skillet, and invert. Serve warm with whipping cream or ice cream, or simply serve plain.
- ENJOY!