Peach Upside Down Cake

Peach Upside Down Cake

I know there aren’t many desserts on my blog. I don’t enjoy baking because there is very little space for mistakes. I am not, by nature, a precise person. If you aren’t either, just cheat and buy a boxed cake mix. It would work fine in this recipe.

But just because I don’t like to bake, doesn’t mean that I can’t. And so, in the interest of variety, I made this cake for you. My grandmother used to say, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can pull it off.” So, I’m not bragging to tell you this cake is good. If you want your cake to be good, there are some things you need to know. Use cake flour. It is finer than regular flour and will make your cake less dense. Sift the dry ingredients. It also makes for a lighter cake. You probably don’t have a sifter, I don’t. I do have a strainer with a handle. Just put all the ingredients in that and tap until everything sifts through. Also, put the butter out to soften rather than melting it in the microwave. It won’t cream properly and your cake will be heavy. This cake recipe can be used without the peaches and it makes an excellent yellow cake.

Peaches are in season. So, I tried to think of a way to turn them into a dessert. I was at a dinner and someone served pineapple upside down cake and an idea creeped into my head. Why not Peach Upside Down Cake? Actually, this is stone fruit upside cake, because I used plums and apricots, too. I thought it would be prettier and more interesting.

(Learn how to peel a peach here.)

 

Serves: This makes 2 single layer cakes-16 slices

Time:  Active time 20 minutes; Cook: 45 Minutes, cake in an hour

Hardware: Measuring spoons and cups, a sifter, 2 mixing bowls, mixer, rubber spatulas, sauce pan, whisk, 2-8-inch round cake pans, parchment paper, 2 large cake plates

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh, peeled peaches, sliced very thin
• 1 cup packed, dark brown sugar
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 1¾ cups sugar
• ⅔ cup butter + ½ cup butter (this is 2 ⅓ sticks)
• 2 eggs
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• Butter for the cake pans

It looks as good as it tastes

1. Set ⅔ cup of the butter out to soften for at least an hour. Don’t melt it in the microwave. It doesn’t cream properly if you do.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter the bottom of the pans and line them with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Melt the rest of the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat. Whisk until everything is incorporated. Spread the brown sugar out over both pans. Use just enough to coat the bottoms. You may have some leftover. You can reheat it later and spoon it over the cake before serving. Carefully, line the pans with the peach slices.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, vanilla and sour cream to the butter and beat until thoroughly mixed.
7. Add ½ the flour and ½ the milk to the butter mixture and beat until just mixed. Add the rest of the flour and the milk and beat for about 1 ½ minutes. Don’t over mix or your cakes will be dense.
8. Spread the batter evenly over the peaches. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Place a cake plate over the pan and carefully flip them over. Peel off the parchment paper. If some of the peaches stick, just place them back into place.
9. You can serve this warm, at room temperature or cold. You can top the cake slices with the leftover brown sugar mixture and some vanilla ice cream.