Palisade Peach Upside-Down Cake

August is peak peach season in Colorado. Every year I am elated when the beautiful, blushing fruit appears at the markets. Palisade peaches are not just a feast for the eyes; their intoxicating aroma and sun-kissed flavor make them into fuzzy summer treasures.

So I try to make sure that peaches make it into as many meals as possible when the harvest is at its height. Still, just because the days of summer are longer doesn’t mean they need to be busier. In fact, it makes a lot of sense to find easy-to-make dishes like this peach upside-down cake.

The hardest part of its construction is allowing the peach juice to drip down from my wrist to my elbow as I prepare the slices to top the cake. I can handle that workload.

I adapted this recipe from one that Patty Price, an author at Honest Cooking, developed. Price’s simple approach to the cake’s caramel base and the inclusion of almonds in the batter appealed to me. Since the peaches I found at the market were so sweet, I felt I could reduce the amount of the sugar in the caramel base.

While peaches are the summer star of this dessert, almond flour and extract within the batter serve as perfect palate partners.  I substituted prepared almond flour instead of creating an almond meal from scratch, as Price had. To further curb sweetness, I also reduced the amount of sugar in the batter.

Nestled in a thin bed of melted butter and brown sugar, the peach slices await the batter to be gently spooned on top. In the oven the cake swells and turns golden brown while the scent of almonds wafts through the house.

When the cake emerges from the oven, it is a lovely golden brown.  The peach jewels are hidden until the cake is inverted onto a serving plate.

Peaches are the crown of this upside-down cake. I love the way the pattern of the slices resembles the blazing summer sun on top of a simple, flavorful layer of cake.

The brief baking time is just enough to tenderize the peaches and help them meld with the caramel. 

The naturally sweet topping pairs up with the almond-flavored cake just right.  What a summer treat!

Palisade Peach Upside-Down Cake

Dawn Dobie

Fresh peaches from the market crown a moist almond-scented cake in this easy-to-make dessert.

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Ingredients

  

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large or 4 medium peaches --peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges

For the cake:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs --room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter --melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

 

For the topping:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the 2 tablespoons of butter in bottom of a 9-inch cake pan and heat in oven for 2-3 minutes, just enough to liquefy the butter.
• Carefully remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the melted butter evenly.
• Place the peach slices in a decorative arrangement on top of the butter and sugar mixture, filling in as much space as possible.

For the cake:

• Combine the two flours, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until mixture thickens a bit. Add the brown sugar and whisk until it is dissolved.
• Slowly whisk in the melted butter, followed by the sour cream, and then the vanilla and almond extracts.
• Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until it is just combined.
• Place large spoonfuls of batter over the peach slices. When all the batter is in the cake pan, carefully smooth it out. Tap the cake pan on a surface like the kitchen counter gently to help the batter settle evenly over the peaches.
• Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
• Remove to a cooling rack and allow to sit at room temperature for 20-25 minutes.
• Run a table knife around the outside edges of the cake to make sure the sides are loosened from the pan. Place an inverted plate atop the cake pan then quickly turn the cake over. Lift the cake pan off.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe by Patty Price posted on the web site Honest Cooking.