A beautiful, fresh Peach Cake made from scratch. This easy tea-cake comes together in minutes. Using the reverse creaming method, you can expect a soft and buttery cake filled with juicy peaches.
Calling all peach lovers. Say hello to your new favourite tea-cake. Yes, move over Apple Cake, there’s a new cake in town and she’s just lovely.
This easy Fresh Peach Cake is soft and tender inside, with a delightfully crisp crust. And don’t get me started on all those sweet peaches hiding inside.
She’s buttery, sweet and perfect for summertime. This Easy Peach Cake is perfect for morning or afternoon tea.
Why you will love this recipe
- Simple ingredients: This Peach Cake recipe uses just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients.
- Fresh peaches: You only need two fresh peaches to make this gorgeous cake.
- Buttery texture: By using the reverse creaming method, this tender cake has a beautifully soft crumb. More on that below!
- Quick to make: Since there’s no frosting, this simple Peach Cake can be ready to pop in the oven in under 30 minutes.
This cake turned out perfect. The recipe is super easy to follow. Loved it. Thanks Jessica!
– Natalie
Recipe testing
To me, the best part about summer is the peaches. I love peaches. And I cannot believe we have zero recipes on SM with peaches in them. ZERO. Zilch. 😭 I don’t know how that happened!
Every year I put a Peach Cake on my recipe to-do list, but I keep missing peach season and then I can’t get hold of them for another year. So this year, I made sure I didn’t eat all of the fresh summer peaches before I had a chance to finally recipe test this one.
So where to start? I wanted a simple recipe. Just a one layer, basic cake that was glammed up by all those gorgeous peaches.
I started by adapting my Apple Cake recipe which is an oil-based cake (and my most popular recipe). But I found the cake was heavy, sunken and a little bland. I tried again, reducing the eggs and experimenting with the amounts of peaches.
I also tried white sugar versus brown sugar, adding cinnamon to the peaches and slicing them in different ways. But overall, I was disappointed.
After two oil-based attempts, I moved to a butter version like my favourite Pear Cake. I used a variation of my favourite Vanilla Cake recipe that uses the reverse creaming method, hoping for a more flavour.
The result was magical. Think a buttery vanilla cake with a soft crumb and a crisp crust, filled with juicy peaches. No weird or hard to find ingredients. Just simplicity at it’s best. My family immediately declared this easy recipe the winner.
If you’re not familiar with the reverse creaming method, it begins by mixing together softened butter with the dry ingredients (the opposite to what we’re used to doing I know!).
By coating the butter in flour, and essentially the flour in butter, you create a barrier which slows down the development of gluten once you add the wet ingredients. In other words – a a fluffy cake with a tender crumb is ensured.
There is no better way to use up those ripe peaches in your fruit bowl. I hope you love this Peach Summer Cake as much as I do!
Ingredients
This simple Peach Cake uses just a handful of everyday ingredients. If you have fresh peaches in your fruit bowl, you’re halfway there!
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key ingredients, including any substitutions you can use.
- Peaches: This recipe has been tested with fresh peaches. I can’t recommend using frozen peaches as I haven’t tried it myself (and I can’t find them here!). I recommend using fresh peaches if possible. It’s best to use ripe but firm peaches if you can. Very ripe peaches will be hard to slice and may disintegrate too much and leak too much liquid. If you do try this cake with frozen peaches or canned peaches, please leave a comment and let us all know how it went.
- Caster sugar: I’ve chosen caster sugar for this recipe which helps create a crisp crust and a tender middle, with just the right amount of sweetness. If you don’t have access to caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar instead.
- Yogurt: To ensure a moist cake from the centre all the way to the edges, we use a full fat Greek yogurt or natural-style yogurt and milk. If you don’t have access to yogurt, you could use sour cream instead.
- Icing sugar or powdered sugar: This cake looks lovely with a dusting of icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. It’s completely optional!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Serving suggestion
This gorgeous Peach Cake is perfect lightly dusted with icing sugar and served on it’s own for morning or afternoon tea.
But if you want to jazz it up a little, you can serve it alongside a dollop of freshly whipped cream or creme fraiche and fresh raspberries.
Or for a lovely dessert, drizzle a slice with Homemade Custard or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to make Peach Cake
My homemade Peach Cake is very quick and easy to make. You’ll need an electric mixer but just a hand-held one is fine. Trust me, it’s worth the effort!
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Step 1: Roughly chop peaches into slices (leaving skin on). I usually get around 5-6 slices per peach half. Set peach slices aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add dry ingredients and softened butter.
Step 3: Mix on low speed until all the butter is in small pea-sized pieces and is completely covered in butter.
Step 4: Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed until combined (don’t worry if it looks dry).
Step 5: Add yogurt and milk and mix again on medium speed until you have a thick and creamy cake batter.
Step 6: Add most of the fresh peach slices, reserving a few to decorate the top of the cake.
Step 7: Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and gently smooth the top with a spatula.
Step 8: Press extra peach slices into the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Step 9: Cool cake on a wire rack. Dust cooled cake with icing or powdered sugar (optional).
REVERSE CREAMING METHOD
By mixing together softened butter and the dry ingredients FIRST, you are coating the butter in flour, and essentially the flour in butter. This creates a barrier which slows down the development of gluten once you add the wet ingredients. In other words, it’s a more foolproof way of creating a soft, tender crumb.
Storage instructions
Make-ahead: Keep leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature. This cake is best served on the day that it’s made or the day after. To make it extra soft, you can microwave pieces for 15 seconds or so until warm. To make the cake ahead of time, considering freezing it (see below).
Freezer instructions: This Peach Cake freezes well. To serve, simply defrost cake at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! I’ve left notes in the recipe below that tell you what order to add the ingredients. This recipe will work well using the traditional creaming method (beating together the butter and sugar first).
I haven’t tested this cake with frozen peaches or canned peaches. But if you do try it, let us know how it goes in the comments below!
Yes! You can absolutely use this recipe as the base but swap peaches for pears, nectarines or plums. Or you could try my Apple Cake and Pear Cake too!
More one layer cakes
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Let’s Bake
Easy Peach Cake
A buttery Peach Cake made using fresh peaches.
Ingredients
- 2 large peaches (approximately 240 grams), ripe but firm (see notes)
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 150 grams (2/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat Greek yogurt
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) full fat or whole milk
- Icing sugar or powdered sugar, to serve, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
- Roughly chop peaches into slices (leaving skin on). I usually get around 5-6 slices per peach half. Set peach slices aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed, until the butter is broken into small pea-sized pieces and completely covered in flour.
- Add egg and vanilla while mix briefly on low speed to combine. Don’t worry if the mixture is dry and floury at this point.
- Add yogurt and milk. Start to beat on low speed and then turn up to medium speed for 30 seconds or until batter is creamy and smooth. It will be very thick – this is fine.
- Set aside 4 or 5 peace slices to decorate the top. Add remaining peach slices to the cake batter and gently stir using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and smooth the top. Press extra peach slices into the top. Bake cake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Carefully transfer cake to a wire rack to cool. After 10 minutes or so, carefully remove cake from pan and leave on wire rack to cool completely.
- Lightly dust the top of the cake with icing or powdered sugar, if using. Cut into slices to serve.
Notes
Peaches: This recipe has been tested using fresh peaches. It’s best to use ripe but firm peaches if you can. Too ripe and they will disintegrate and turn to mush. If you do try this cake with frozen peaches or canned peaches, please leave a comment below and let us know how it went.
Greek Yogurt: I recommend using a full fat Greek yogurt or natural-style yogurt. If you don’t have access to yogurt, you can use sour cream instead. Alternatively, you could use full fat buttermilk, but use 2/3 cup total (and omit the regular milk).
Icing sugar: This cake looks lovely with a dusting of icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. It’s completely optional.
Traditional creaming method: If you prefer to make this cake using the traditional creaming method you can. Simply add caster sugar and softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat together using an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or until pale and creamy. Add vanilla and egg and mix on medium speed until combined. Finally, add flour, baking powder, salt, milk and yogurt. Mix briefly until you have a thick and creamy cake batter. Then continue with the recipe above from step 6 onwards.
Serving suggestion: Serve on it’s own with a dusting of icing sugar, or alongside a dollop of freshly whipped cream or creme fraiche, with fresh berries or with a drizzle of Homemade Custard.
Make-ahead: Keep cake in an airtight container at room temperature. This cake is best served on the day that it’s made or the day after. To make it extra soft, you can microwave pieces for 15 seconds or so until warm. To make the cake ahead of time, considering freezing it (see below).
Freezer instructions: This Peach Cake freezes well. To serve, simply defrost cake at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 283 Sugar: 18.8 g Sodium: 74.8 mg Fat: 13.8 g Carbohydrates: 35.9 g Protein: 4.8 g Cholesterol: 53 mg
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Andrea says
Perfect recipe, turned out great.
Jessica Holmes says
That is wonderful to hear Andrea!