Sweet peach cake is one of those timeless recipes that perfectly captures the essence of summer. It's the kind of dessert that feels both elegant and effortlessly rustic, making it perfect for a backyard barbecue, a Sunday brunch, or a simple afternoon treat with a cup of coffee. There’s nothing quite like the flavor of ripe, juicy peaches baked into a tender, moist crumb.

This particular recipe is designed to highlight the natural sweetness of the peaches while keeping the cake itself incredibly soft and buttery. A hint of cinnamon and a touch of almond extract complement the fruit beautifully, and a simple cinnamon sugar topping adds a delightful, sweet crunch to every slice. It’s a cake that’s easy to make, hard to resist, and a true celebration of summer's best fruit.

So, grab some of those perfect, ripe peaches and let's bake a little bit of sunshine!

Sweet Peach Cake

This recipe makes a tender, moist cake that is perfect for a 9-inch round pan.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45-55 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

  • ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but highly recommended)

  • 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

  • 2-3 large ripe peaches, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes

For the Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Prep and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon. Set aside.

  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.

  5. Alternate Wet and Dry: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredient mixture in three parts, alternating with two parts of the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

  6. Add Peaches: In a separate small bowl, toss the diced peaches with a tablespoon of the cake flour mixture to lightly coat them. This simple step helps prevent the peaches from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking. Gently fold the peaches into the batter using a spatula.

  7. Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it into an even layer.

  8. Prepare Topping: In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.

  9. Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top of the cake begins to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

  10. Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before carefully inverting it onto the rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature, perhaps with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips for a Perfect Peach Cake

  • Ripe Peaches are Key: Choose peaches that are ripe but still firm. If they are too soft, they will become mushy in the cake.

  • The Buttermilk Secret: Buttermilk is the secret to a tender, moist cake. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and then filling the rest of the way with regular milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

  • Don't Overmix: Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough cake. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.

  • The Flour Toss: Don't skip the step of tossing the peaches in flour. It's a simple trick that ensures the peaches are distributed throughout the cake and don't all sink to the bottom.

  • Serving Variations: While delicious on its own, this cake is also wonderful with a simple powdered sugar glaze, a crumble topping, or a scoop of ice cream.