Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake uses fresh, juicy peaches, sliced, covered in a caramel glaze. Served with whipped or ice cream, this dessert is fantastic!
The Best Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake Recipe
I love peaches and every year I make this easy recipe at least twice during peach season! This recipe for Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake is a definite keeper.
I have to admit, sometimes I add extra, store bought, caramel sauce to this cake when serving and I always keep some inside my fridge! I love caramel on top of this and other delicious desserts! Am I the only one?
I love the way this Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake looks on a serving plate! I know I am not the only one eagerly anticipating a slice! This is one of those occasions where you actually can eat dessert first! Peach season only comes around once a year!
How do I know when peaches are ripe?
Color of the peaches:
- The color you need to look for is the background color of the fruit and not the red, highlight. Plant breeders have bred the color red into a lot of peaches grown around the world currently because it helps sell the fruit. The real color you want to look for is yellow and it should be deep golden color, not pale at all.
Feel of the peaches:
- You can tell if a peach is ripe or not by a gentle, yet firm squeeze, that is not hard enough to bruise it, with your fingers. If there’s a little bit of a give there, then it means that the fruit is almost ripe but not quite. I would still leave such a peach on the kitchen counter for another couple of days until it is actually soft to very soft.
Look of the skin:
- This is the most telling. You can tell that a peach is ready to eat by looking for signs of shriveled skin around the stem. When you see wrinkles, that's the sign of an excellent peach that is ripe and ready to go.
Ingredients for Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake
- fresh, ripe, peaches
- butter
- sugar
- heavy or whipping cream
Cake
- shortening
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- salt
- baking powder
- milk
How do I make a Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake?
First, you have to find some perfectly ripe peaches. Once you have done that, you are ready to go!
In a large skillet, over low heat, melt butter, brown sugar and cream. Stir until mixture is smooth.
Grab your springform pan. Pour the caramel topping from the saucepan and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Put your peach slices on top of the topping in any pattern your want.
In a large sized mixing bowl, blend shortening and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and blend until mixture is smooth again.
Gently spoon batter on top of your peaches and use a spatula to spread batter evenly on top.
Bake until the cake is golden all over the top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cut cake into slices and serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you prefer.
If you are interested, have a look at The Best Apple Upside Down Cake. I love it just as much as our Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake!
Other Cakes to Try
Peaches and Cream Stuffed Cake
The Best Strawberry Banana Cake
Grandma’s Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Cake
The Best Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Grandma's Chocolate Orange Cake
The Best Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Have a peek at our video so you can see just how easy this dessert is to make! Then you will have to try it for yourself!
Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake Video
Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 1 9 x 9 inch round, 2½ to 3 inch deep baking pan
Ingredients
Base
- 2 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced in ½" thick wedges (or 1 ½ lb frozen peaches, thawed and will not have a lot of juice and will only need blotting with towelling.)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon brandy extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Cake
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten to slightly frothy
- ½ cup butter gently melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)
- caramel sauce from a squeeze bottle (optional)
Caramel Topping
- ¼ cup butter, cut into 4 pieces or ½ stick
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Brandy Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (33-35% milkfat)
- 2 tablespoons powdered (icing) sugar
- 1- 1 ½ teaspoons brandy extract OR 2-3 tablespoon brandy, cognac or 1 tablespoon brandy liqueur (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in middle position of oven.
Base
- Grease and dust cake pan with flour. Line bottom with parchment and grease and flour parchment.
- Mix melted butter, brandy, vanilla, corn starch, salt and sugar to form a soft paste. Using a small spatula, spread mixture evenly on bottom of pan.
- Place peach wedges in concentric rings on top of the butter-sugar mix, starting with the outside edge; working toward the center. Use large firm peach wedges for the outer 'ring'. Use small or broken pieces to fill in gaps. Pack firmly together (no spaces).
- (NOTE: if using frozen peaches, you will use all but about ⅔ c of the peaches.)
- Set pan aside while making cake batter.
Cake
- In medium size bowl mix dry ingredients
- In a small bowl beat eggs to frothy.
- Add vanilla and melted butter to eggs. Stir to combine.
- Using a spatula mix wet with dry ingredients to combined. Batter will be fairly thick.
- Fold in sour cream using a spatula until only a few streaks remain.
- Gently and evenly spread batter over peaches using a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle sliced almonds on top and gently press onto batter.
- Bake 45-50 mins till toothpick comes out clean and top is beginning to lightly brown.
- Remove from oven and set on cooling rack for 15- 20 mins minutes.
- Run a paring knife around outside edge to loosen. Pan will still be hot.
- Flip almond side down onto a serving plate and remove parchment.
- When cake has cooled keep covered to prevent drying out.
- Serve in wedges with brandy whipped cream or with vanilla or peach ice cream or whipped topping.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce from a squeeze bottle if desired.
Caramel Topping
- In a large skillet, over low heat, melt butter, add brown sugar and cream. Stir until mixture is smooth and set aside until needed.
Brandy Whipped Cream
- Beat cream till starting to thicken. Sprinkle in icing sugar and beat in. Add the extract or liquor to desired flavor; taste testing as your proceed.
- Spoon onto slices of cake and drizzle with caramel sauce if desired.
Dawn says
This looks amazing! I have made pineapple upside cake but never thought to make it with peaches. I saw this just in time for peach season here, it will be starting here in about a month and a half. Nothing like picking some fresh peaches out of the orchard 🙂
Karin and Ken says
I just love peaches and this cake! I hope you don’t mind letting me know what you thought of this cake after you try it. I would love to hear! Take care and be well. Karin