Recipes Cooking

Peach Upside Down Cake

This year I didnt go for a traditional birthday cake. With all the lovely fresh peaches around, it seemed like time for Peach Upside-Down Cake, and very yummy it was too. I thought this was even better on the second day, so it can and probably should be made a day before you want to eat it. However, with the fresh peach topping it wont last long so keep that in mind too.

I used a 9" springform pan for this and that... didnt exactly work. It was fine until I got it into the oven and then the butter topping started leaking out.  So dont do that. I did put a tray under it, and it didnt leak horribly, but still, no springform pans.

8 to 12 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time


1 1/2 cups soft unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 medium peaches
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup Sucanat OR dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons rum
3 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons Sucanat OR dark brown sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk OR thin yogurt

Butter a 9" round, deep cake pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Put a pot of water on to boil, to which at least 3 of the peaches can be added and have the water cover them. Measure the flour and mix in the baking powder and salt; set this aside in a small mixing bowl if you need the measuring cup to continue, or leave it in the cup if not. When the water boils, blanch the peaches for 1 minute, in one or two batches depending on the size of the pot. Rinse them in cold water at once to cool them, and peel them. Set them aside.

Cream the butter in a larger mixing bowl, and work in the sugar until soft and well amalgamated. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract and the rum.

Melt the butter and put it into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom by tilting and turning the pan, or use a pastry brush if preferred. Sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons of Sucanat evenly over the butter. Cut the peeled peaches in half, discarding the pit. Place them cut side down evenly over the prepared butter and sugar.

Mix the flour into the butter and egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk or yogurt. Scrape this evenly over the peaches in the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the cake tests done with a toothpick inserted in the middle.




Last year at this time I made Fresh Corn "Polenta".