Peach Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 27, 2016
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
½ cup (2 ½ ounces/71 grams) cornmeal 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted and cooled⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) plus ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar 1 pound (454 grams) peaches 1 pound (454 grams) peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch wedges, or 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ⅛ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup whole milk 2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice1 large egg plus 1 large yolkSalt
Before You Begin
If using frozen peaches, be sure to thaw and drain them before using; otherwise, they will produce a mushy cake. We like to serve this cake with whipped cream.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast cornmeal in ovensafe 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to large bowl and let cool slightly.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar and pinch salt and cook, whisking constantly, until sugar is melted, smooth, and deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (Mixture may look broken but will come together.) Off heat, carefully arrange peaches cut side down in tight pinwheel around edge of skillet. Arrange remaining peaches in center of skillet.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into cornmeal. In separate bowl, whisk milk, orange zest and juice, egg and yolk, melted butter, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
- Pour batter over peaches and spread into even layer. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 28 to 33 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking.
- Let cake cool in skillet on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edge of skillet to loosen cake. Place large, flat serving platter over skillet. Using potholders and holding platter tightly, invert skillet and platter together; lift off skillet (if any peaches stick to skillet, remove and position on top of cake). Let cake cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve.
Yield
Serves 8Ingredients
½ cup (2 ½ ounces/71 grams) cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted and cooled
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) plus ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar
1 pound (454 grams) peaches 1 pound (454 grams) peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch wedges, or 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
Salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
½ cup (2 ½ ounces/71 grams) cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted and cooled
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) plus ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar
1 pound (454 grams) peaches 1 pound (454 grams) peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch wedges, or 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
Salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
½ cup (2 ½ ounces/71 grams) cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted and cooled
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) plus ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar
1 pound (454 grams) peaches 1 pound (454 grams) peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch wedges, or 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
Salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Skillet upside-down cakes are simple affairs: Sauté the fruit, top the fruit with batter, and pop the skillet in the oven. If all goes well, the cake releases from the skillet to reveal beautifully caramelized fruit perched atop a rustic, not-too-sweet cake. But too often the result is overly sweet or, worse, a soggy mess. To avoid the latter, we added toasted cornmeal to the cake batter for both flavor and texture and nestled the peaches in a sauce of sugar and butter before baking to ensure a top layer of caramelized peaches with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Before You Begin
If using frozen peaches, be sure to thaw and drain them before using; otherwise, they will produce a mushy cake. We like to serve this cake with whipped cream.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast cornmeal in ovensafe 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to large bowl and let cool slightly.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar and pinch salt and cook, whisking constantly, until sugar is melted, smooth, and deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (Mixture may look broken but will come together.) Off heat, carefully arrange peaches cut side down in tight pinwheel around edge of skillet. Arrange remaining peaches in center of skillet.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into cornmeal. In separate bowl, whisk milk, orange zest and juice, egg and yolk, melted butter, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
- Pour batter over peaches and spread into even layer. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 28 to 33 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking.
- Let cake cool in skillet on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edge of skillet to loosen cake. Place large, flat serving platter over skillet. Using potholders and holding platter tightly, invert skillet and platter together; lift off skillet (if any peaches stick to skillet, remove and position on top of cake). Let cake cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve.
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