Peach Upside Down Cake

This easy peach upside-down cake is a delicious way to eat enjoy the summer fruit. Enjoy warm with a scoop of ice cream.

There may not be a single 80-degree day in the 10-day forecast, and there might be pumpkin beer in my fridge, but it is still technically summer, and I still have loads of fresh peaches.

When I was invited to participate in an event celebrating peaches, I wanted to make something really simple and easy. But I also wanted cake. When I think of easy cakes, I think of upside down cake.

What is an upside-down cake?

Quite simply, upside-down cake is a cake with fruit that is baked fruit-side down, and served fruit-side up. Most people probably picture pineapples but many different kinds of fruit can be used.

The fruit is typically layered on top of a butter/sugar mixture that creates a syrup. Once the cake is baked and turned fruit-side up, the syrup soaks down into the cake. Yum!

Why brown the butter?

Butter is composed of butterfat and milk solids. When butter melts, the heavier milk solids fall to the bottom. If you continue to heat the melted butter, the milk solids will start to brown and give off a nutty aroma.

Browning butter on the stovetop can be tricky. Once the milk solids start to brown, they can go from pleasantly toasted to burnt in a split second so it is essential to keep a very close eye on them.

However, I recently started browning my butter in the microwave and it's practically foolproof. Just remember to never use a plastic container—the superhot butter will melt it! And put a second bowl, or a plate, on top, to keep hot butter from splattering all over the inside of your microwave.

I love using browned butter in baking because those cooked before mixing it with the brown sugar that goes on the bottom of the cake pan because I love the nutty aroma and the flavor of browned butter goes so well with peaches.

You can skip browning the butter if you choose, though I strongly recommend you do it, just for the incredible flavor it gives. If you choose to skip it, you can simply melt the butter, then mix it with the brown sugar.

How to Bake an Upside-Down Cake

Most home bakers have 8- or 9-inch round pans, and those pans are typically about 1 ½ inches deep. That's too small for this cake! I used a 10-inch round, 2 inches deep cake pan and the baked cake came right to the top of the pan when it was finished.

You can get 2- or 3-inch deep cake pans at craft stores that have a baking section, at restaurant supply stores or online. You could also try baking this cake in a springform pan, but I recommend wrapping the bottom in tinfoil, in case the butter mixture leaks out.

How to Serve Peach Upside-Down Cake

This cake is absolutely delicious served warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or caramel ice cream. It can also be served at room temperature, plain or with a light sprinkle of confectioners sugar.

To store any leftovers, loosely cover the cake with tinfoil (covering too tightly will cause the syrupy peaches to stick), and store in the refrigerator. The cake is best when eaten within two or three days.

More Peach Recipes

• Fresh Peach Iced Tea from Palatable Pastime
• Keto-friendly Danish with Fresh Peaches from Our Good Life
• Peach Cobbler + Epitaph for a Peach from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Peach Cobbler Dump Cake With Fresh Peaches from Our Crafty Mom
• Peach Cobbler Moonshine from Our Crafty Cocktails
• Peach Crumble from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peach Upside Down Cake from The Redhead Baker
• Peachy French Toast from Making Miracles
• Summer Peach Bundles in a Sweet Mascarpone Sauce from The Freshman Cook