By: Merritt Allen

Peaches are one of those late summer fruits that are truly delicious! When enjoyed ripe, peaches are a burst of bright fruity flavor that only comes around at the end of summer. Baked peaches have a special aroma that fills your kitchen and teases a delightful smell of warm stone fruit that makes you want to dive in to whatever is baking.

This recipe for sweet upside peach cake does a wonderful job at celebrating the peach while also delivering a tasty vanilla cake that is made with Greek yogurt. The peaches are laid out and baked with the sponge on top, leaving you with a perfectly moist top and a delightful treat. I hope you give this recipe for upside down peach cake a try today!

What is Upside Down Peach Cake?

• Upside down peach cake just refers to the process of placing your peaches on the bottom of the baking tin and pouring the cake batter on top to bake. The cake is turned out of the tin after cooling slightly so that the peaches are on top and served as the top of the cake! Upside down cake is actually very convenient because the peaches do not make the cake soggy but you still get to enjoy them after they have roasted to perfection in the oven.

What Cake Pan is Best For Upside Down Cake?

• For upside down cake, a 9” round cake pan works really really well. I line my cake pan with parchment paper and butter to ensure that nothing will stick. This makes the cake able to turn out super easy after it comes out of the oven.

• If you do not plan on flipping your peach upside down cake, you can bake this in a cast iron pan! With cast iron pans being a bit heavier and the chance of sticking higher, I do not recommend trying to flip your cake out the same way you can with a cake pan. Cast iron pans for upside down peach cake are wonderful, since you can line the bottom with your peaches and they will get a little crispy edge on them.

Do You Have To Flip Peach Upside Down Cake?

• As mentioned in the section above, you do not have to flip peach upside down cake. If you prefer to serve your cake with the peaches on the bottom you can leave off the flipping step.

• I like flipping my upside down cake to serve the fruit on top since its really pretty and makes for a good showstopper piece. After the cake has cooled just slightly in the pan, flip onto a cooling wrack and let cool about 30 minutes before serving.

What Does the Greek Yogurt Do In Peach Upside Down Cake?

• I love baking with Greek Yogurt! It adds flavor to your cakes, helps stabilize, and the acid in the Greek Yogurt reacts with the baking powder to give extra lift. I bake with full fat Greek Yogurt because the extra fat will also help add a certain richness to your cake that a skim or 2% yogurt will not add. If you have not baked with Greek Yogurt, I highly recommend you try it today!

Do Frozen Peaches Work For Peach Upside Down Cake?

• You can definitely use frozen peaches for peach upside down cake. You can line your tin directly with frozen peaches without defrosting them first. Do not heat your frozen peaches prior to placing them in the tin or your will just have a peach syrup or really mushy peaches. Frozen peaches will taste great as most are frozen at the peak of ripeness, meaning you can bring a little summer magic to your kitchen any time of year.

Do I need To Peel My Peaches Before Baking?

• When cooking with ripe peaches, you do not need to peel them prior to baking. Peach skin is so soft and will hardly be noticed in this cake. I recommend not peeling your peaches, mostly to save yourself some time and because the skin will add just a little bit of flavor! I do recommend lightly washing your peaches prior to cutting to remove any excess dirt that may be present from the store!

Ingredients For Upside Down Peach Cake:

How To Make Peach Upside-down Cake:

1. Cut The Peaches

   1. Gently wash and dry your peaches

   2. Cut your peaches in half and remove the pit.

   3. Slice your peaches into thin slices and set aside

   4. Line your 9” baking tin by first spreading oil on the bottom, adding your parchment, and then oiling the parchment paper. This will ensure nothing sticks!

2. Mix the Cake Batter

   1. Preheat the oven to 350F

   2. To a stand mixer, add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Cream together, about 30 seconds.

   3. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and egg. Mix until combined.

   4. Add the Greek Yogurt, mix until combine.

   5. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

   6. Add 1/2 the flour and while the mixer is on low add all the milk.

   7. Add the rest of the flour and continue to mix until just combined.

   8. Pour the batter on top of the peaches and smooth to even out the top. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon white sugar op top to make a crunchy sugar bottom.

   9. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the middle no longer jiggles, about 45 minutes.

   10. Remove and let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes.

   11. To turn out, placing a plate or cooling wrack over the pan and flip all together. Slowly lift the pan away.

   12. Enjoy!