Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake
While I love Pineapple Upside Down Cake, I also love to mix it up and this Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake with Bourbon is amazing with fresh summer peaches.
How about a little poll before I share the latest #ProgressiveEats event with you with my entry of this Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake. A non scientific and will be used for absolutely nothing but to satisfy my own curiosity type of poll. Here goes. One question:
- What foods are you still making, eating and most interested in seeing recipes for:
Summer Foods or Fall Foods?
Here’s the deal. I know that fall is coming but it is one entire month from now. As a result a lot of bloggers are already gungho gaga over pumpkin. They get more nuts over pumpkin than they do fresh garden tomatoes and in my opinion, there is simply no comparison especially since the pumpkin in question is in a can.
To create a similarity I would have to be heralding cans of diced tomatoes in April; months before the real deal was available on the vine. There are definitely two camps. The ‘I shall shout PUMPKIN’ from the rooftops camp and the ‘Oh enough of the pumpkin already, it’s still August’ camp. Any doubt which one I’m in?
Well, this Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake should make it clear; it is the epitome of summer and I am so not ready to give it up yet!
If it wasn’t clear then this month’s lineup for Progressive Eats should answer that question. Stone Fruits. They of the peach, plum, apricot, nectarine and cherry variety. Summer all day long fruits. So perfect.
I recall a ditty my mother taught me once to say at Halloween when I dressed in a girly girl costume with a big curl on my forehead:
There was a little girl who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good she was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
That could be said of stone fruits too. Never much sense for me to buy them from Mexico or other far reaching places…if they’re not local they all to often never ripen well and are such a disappointment. But when they are fresh and good? Well, they are very, very good and I can’t get enough of them.
While I love making desserts like this Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake, I have on occasion been so eager I’ve been happy to haunch over the kitchen sink to enjoy a juicy ripe peach and let the juices dribble where they may and that might just include my shirt; ahh…see why the FedEx guy always eyes me suspiciously?
Or he knows I’ve been eating a Colorado peach? It is definitely one version of nirvana.
Another might be having any one of them in a baked good. Baking them brings out even more of their inherent sweetness, softens the fruit and combined with a pastry of some sort can make for results that are simply irresistible. And irresistible is certainly what I was going for while heralding the last days of this glorious summer fruit.
While Georgia is often thought of as the Peach State, I would put up our Colorado peaches from the Western Slope in a heartbreat as a worthy rival.
Grown on the western side of the Rocky Mountains, the warm days and cool nights make for amazing peaches. That coolness at night elevates the sugars and they are sweet and juicy and honestly ruin any other peach for me. Give me Olathe or give me death!! OK, maybe a bit dramatic but please do give me Olathe peaches.
This month I wanted to try something new. I’ve always loved Pineapple Upside Down Cake but have heard mention of Peach Upside Down Cake and thought it would be the perfect time to give it a try. I had the peaches, I had some recipe ideas and since I had also been gifted with a local bourbon I thought it would be the perfect addition.
A friend of mine works for a company called Experience Pros and one of their clients is the brains behind Squeal Go Pig Black Spiced Rum. Or just Squeal Black Rum. She secured a bottle for me to try and there it was; right there in front of me on the kitchen counter, just crying to be included in my ‘all Colorado’ cake.
Done. And done well. For such a young bourbon and especially one from Colorado it has won a number of awards but what sold me? Another reviewer said, “On the palate it’s sweet but not overwhelming. Fruit jam hits the palate first — plums and cooked peaches.”
Peaches? See it was meant to be. I did give Georgia a nod with some pecans sent to me from a friend but it’s that combination of peaches and rum that made this cake a standout summer treat.
Make sure you check out the list of Stone Fruit recipes from my friends in Progressive Eats that are listed after the recipe. Won’t you join me and celebrate SUMMER?!!
More Upside Down Cakes!
PIN IT! ‘Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake’
Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
For the Peach Topping
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 Tablespoons bourbon
- 4 peaches cut into 1/2-inch wedges (about 1 1/4 pounds)
For the Cake:
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoon bourbon
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup pecans finely ground
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a 10" ovenproof skillet and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the vanilla and bourbon and cook over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and arrange the peaches in concentric circles over the caramel and set the skillet aside.
- Beat the butter and the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and bourbon.
- Whisk the flour, ground pecans, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the peaches and spread evenly.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.) Let sit 15 minutes, then invert onto a platter and let cool completely.
- Serve with sweetened peach slices and vanilla ice cream (optional)
Notes
- When slicing the peaches and making sections that fit into the skillet, there are ends that are too small so I saved all of those pieces; probably 4 slices per peach and added a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to them and let them macerate while the cake cooked.
- Once ready to serve I used those peaches as a fresh component on top of the cake and I loved the layers of cake, fresh peaches and vanilla ice cream. It’s optional but good!
Nutrition
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is all about Stone Fruits and is hosted by Ansh Dhar who blogs at Spiceroots. With Summer coming to an end, it’s a great time to use the Summer’s abundant bounty in everyday food.
We have some great ideas this month to use all the stone fruit – from BBQ Sauce, to curries, to Duck and of course Desserts.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
Stone Fruits
Salad
- Black Plum, Avocado, and Mozzarella Salad from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Main Courses
- Lamb and Fresh Plum Tagine from Spiceroots
- Pan-Seared Duck Breasts with Fresh Plum Sauce (GF) from The Heritage Cook
Desserts
- Peach-Bourbon Upside Down Cake from Everydayum.com (You’re Here!)
- Peach Raspberry Galette from That Skinny Chic Can Bake
- Stone Fruit Cobbler from Food Hunter’s Guide
Has anyone tried this with peach bourbon??
I know that I haven’t Sue and I’ve not heard of someone who has but I would absolutely recommend that you use that if it’s something you have on hand, I think it would be perfect!
I think so too! I’ll let you know how it turns out……..
Hi Barb. I finally served this cake using the PEACH bourbon. It was absolutely delicious!!! I froze the cake ahead of time and it thawed beautifully. My dinner guests raved! Thank you for such a yummy lovely recipe! I will definitely make this again using the peach bourbon!
It’s great to hear that you enjoyed it, I can imagine I would love a Peach Bourbon!
Quick question. If I were to make this in a cake pan 3 inches deep, would you use a 9” or 10” pan?? I would like to make this for a dinner party I have coming up in August.
Thank you!!
For the topping, is the butter melted first before mixing with brown sugar. Also, you mention cinnamon in the topping ingredients but it isn’t in the recipe do you put it at the same time as the bourbon and vanilla ? Thanks can’t wait to make
The butter and brown sugar are added too a skillet the same time and gently melted together.
I will have to fix the issue with the cinnamon but I would add it anytime and just whisk it in.
How much vanilla is added with the 3 Tbsp bourbon to the topping?
I usually add 2 teaspoons of vanilla…but I like vanilla. If a recipe calls for one teaspoon, I add two. 🙂
This was excellent! Everyone who had a piece loved it. Thank you!
It’s now December and I was hoping to try this recipe with apples. Which type of Apple(s) would be best to use?
Thank you.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Judy! If I were going to try it with apples I would look for Jonagold, Honeycrisp, or Gala. They all have a nice sweetness to them and should hold up well during baking.
Hello! This was delicious!
I’d love to make this at other times when there aren’t fresh peaches. Can I use frozen peaches? Or canned? I know it won’t be quite as tasty but am hoping to try.
Thank you!
Judy
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t done it myself but I can’t think of any reason why you couldn’t substitute either of those. I might be more inclined to go with frozen peaches only because they won’t be already sweetened by syrup like can peaches are.
Still, I would try either one. I just bought another 20 lb of Colorado peaches so I’ll be freezing some, I should try it myself!
I am allergic to pecans. Can I substitute?
Sure, use any nut you like, you can also make it without any nuts at all.
I’m in no hurry for summer to come to a end! It means cold weather is just around the bend, and I despise cold weather. For now, I’ll keep enjoying the fruits of summer including this luscious upside down cake!
Does the cake have to baked in a cast iron skillet? Plan on making it for the weekend, looks delicious!
Thank you…
No, as long as your skillet is large enough to hold the mixture it won’t matter.
I’m an autumn kinda girl all the way, but I’m never in a hurry to say goodbye to summer tomatoes, peaches, corn, etc! This cake sounds amazing, just the type I love…nothing too fancy, no frosting – just flavor! I’m so intrigued by that alcohol…I love the label. Is it bourbon or is it rum, though? Either way, you cannot beat local!
It’s a bourbon…which of course is sacrilege to anyone from Kentucky but it’s done well and it was fun using something local. Make BUY Local! a reality.
What a stunning cake – I am savoring every last piece of summer fruit I can get my hands on. Love this!
Me too Jeanette. This time of year I’m a vegetarian…only because I’m happy to eat my fill of fruits and veggies; meat can wait!
I’m not ready for fall food yet!! I’m still enjoying all the delicious summer fruits and veggies!!
Just for grins, I was at the market last night and asked when we could expect to see pumpkins. Not until the end of September earliest is what I was told. OK…then I’ll call that fall. I still want to eat four ears of corn for dinner with a tomato on the side! 🙂
Those caramelized peaches on top look so amazing!!! Fun doing summer soiree with you:)
Thanks Liz and back at ya…I enjoy the challenge of making something according to a subject and really love seeing how creative everyone else is too.
I haven’t made a hearty dessert like this in some time, I’ll be heading to the store to get some fresh peaches ASAP!
You won’t be disappointed; it was really fantastic. That’s why I had to give most of it away!
I am in your camp. Summer is not over yet and i definitely don’t want to see any canned pumpkin blah yet. That upside down cake however can meet my face anyday 😀
Amen sister! I asked the fellow at Sprouts when we would see pumpkins…not for several weeks yet. I HAVE to find a Cinderella pumpkin…there’s a project for us. We could make a sweet and a savory dish and freeze a whole bunch for the rest of the year!
What a wonderful spin on the traditional pineapple upside down cake Barb! I love peaches in anything, but when you combine them with sugar and a splash (or three) of booze – OK, you had me at Bourbon, LOL. This is absolutely beautiful and definitely in my to-make file!
Something about that butter and sugar and caramelizing it with fruit that is a surefire winner isn’t it Jane. I just bought a pineapple last night…it’s next!
I am squarely in the “it’s still summer” camp at least until about the third week in September. Even then, if it’s still hot here, my pumpkin-meter may still be at zero.
This cake in all its peachy Colorado glory is just perfect. Love it!
Me too. The weather is a better predictor of my changing than anything else. Pumpkin is for cool weather. Peaches are for now!
Way too early for pumpkin recipes! Sure, you might want to give a nod to the changing of the seasons (back to school, Labor Day, all of that), but there are far better ways to do it. No pumpkin recipes before October, IMO. Maybe the last week of September, but even that’s pushing it. Anyway, love the combo of peaches and bourbon. This is inspired — thanks.
Yes John!! This cake was really so good it’s sort of my favorite right now but I’ve got pineapple ready to take peach’s place once they are gone. I’m OK with bring upside down back. 🙂
That does it! You will definitely find me on your doorstep next Colorado peach season with plate and fork in hand! This is one exquisite upside down cake!!!
Watch…I’ll hold you to that! Thanks Liz; it was seriously good.
Haha I love your pumpkin rant. And this cake — oooooh this cake! I need it.
I was inspired…by someone apologizing for doing a post about peaches! So peach it is…and this cake is a pretty perfect use of them. I would offer you a slice but my neighbors left not even a crumb. 🙂