Peach Upside-Down Cake
By Andrea Rivera WawrzynPublished on February 17, 2023
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour cooling time
Yield
Serves 8
What Kids Are Saying
"I liked adding in the peaches. I made a nice design. I really liked the cake.” —Audrey, recipe tester, age 5
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray 4 tablespoons plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, measured separately, melted1 teaspoon cornstarch ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) plus 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar, measured separately⅛ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately2 peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch wedges1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ cup sour cream 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1–2 teaspoons confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Before You Begin
Peaches are at their ripest and juiciest in the summer and can be harder to find in the cooler months. If you can’t find fresh peaches, you can substitute 12 ounces frozen peaches, thawed and patted dry with paper towels.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside of 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Line bottom of cake pan with 9-inch round piece of parchment paper. Spray parchment with vegetable oil spray.
- Pour 4 tablespoons melted butter over bottom of greased pan and swirl to coat evenly. In medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, ½ cup sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Use your hands to sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over melted butter in pan.
- Arrange peach slices in single layer over sugar mixture, placing slices close together and pressing them flat (see photo, “Step-by-Step: How to Arrange Peach Slices”).
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. In second large bowl, whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and remaining 1 cup sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter to sour cream mixture and whisk until combined. Add flour mixture to sour cream mixture and whisk until just combined and no dry flour remains.
- Pour batter over peaches in greased pan. Use rubber spatula to smooth top.
- Place cake pan in oven. Bake cake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove cake pan from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cake cool for 20 minutes.
- Run butter knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Gently flip cake out of pan onto serving platter (the peaches should now be on top of the cake—ask an adult for help). Discard parchment. Let cake cool for at least 1 hour.
- Set small fine-mesh strainer over small bowl. Add confectioners’ sugar to strainer. Use fine-mesh strainer to dust confectioners’ sugar evenly over cooled cake, gently tapping side of strainer to release sugar. Serve.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour cooling timeYield
Serves 8What Kids Are Saying
"I liked adding in the peaches. I made a nice design. I really liked the cake.” —Audrey, recipe tester, age 5Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
4 tablespoons plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, measured separately, melted
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) plus 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar, measured separately
⅛ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately
2 peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch wedges
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 teaspoons confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
4 tablespoons plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, measured separately, melted
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) plus 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar, measured separately
⅛ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately
2 peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch wedges
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 teaspoons confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
4 tablespoons plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, measured separately, melted
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) plus 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar, measured separately
⅛ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately
2 peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch wedges
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 teaspoons confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This topsy-turvy cake is sure to be a-peach-iated by everyone who eats it. It may look fancy, but it’s simple enough that even the youngest kid chefs can help make it. As they prep the ingredients, ask kids why they think this is called an upside-down cake? It’s because the cake is served upside-down from the way it’s built in the pan. The fruit goes in the bottom of the cake pan along with melted butter and sugar, then cake batter gets poured on top. After baking, you flip the cake over and serve it with the colorful fruit on top. Baking the cake upside down allows the fruit at the bottom of the pan to cook in the butter-sugar mixture, creating a thick, sweet caramel. Once you turn it over, the impressive peach pattern is put on display!
Before You Begin
Peaches are at their ripest and juiciest in the summer and can be harder to find in the cooler months. If you can’t find fresh peaches, you can substitute 12 ounces frozen peaches, thawed and patted dry with paper towels.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside of 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Line bottom of cake pan with 9-inch round piece of parchment paper. Spray parchment with vegetable oil spray.
- Pour 4 tablespoons melted butter over bottom of greased pan and swirl to coat evenly. In medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, ½ cup sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Use your hands to sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over melted butter in pan.
- Arrange peach slices in single layer over sugar mixture, placing slices close together and pressing them flat (see photo, “Step-by-Step: How to Arrange Peach Slices”).
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. In second large bowl, whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and remaining 1 cup sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter to sour cream mixture and whisk until combined. Add flour mixture to sour cream mixture and whisk until just combined and no dry flour remains.
- Pour batter over peaches in greased pan. Use rubber spatula to smooth top.
- Place cake pan in oven. Bake cake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove cake pan from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cake cool for 20 minutes.
- Run butter knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Gently flip cake out of pan onto serving platter (the peaches should now be on top of the cake—ask an adult for help). Discard parchment. Let cake cool for at least 1 hour.
- Set small fine-mesh strainer over small bowl. Add confectioners’ sugar to strainer. Use fine-mesh strainer to dust confectioners’ sugar evenly over cooled cake, gently tapping side of strainer to release sugar. Serve.
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