Summer Peach Upside Down Cake

Every summer in southern Oregon, our family would pile into the car in late July, trunk full of empty Costco boxes, crates, bags and coolers – any receptacle sturdy and large enough to carry home our precious, fragile cargo. The outing always seemed to land on one of the hottest, driest days of the deepest parts of summer, so seeking refuge in the leafy shade of acres of peach trees seemed the right thing to do. If any of you got the chance to go peach picking while you were growing up you may have the same sticky-sweet nostalgia that sinks you into a million summer moments when you bite into a peach. This cake lets you relive a bit of those memories with a cake that matches the dusky fire of summer sunsets.

While I think one of the best summer desserts is simply biting into a ripe peach, right off the tree, or right out of one of the dozen buckets of the soft, sun-ful orbs we would cart home, this cake spins those globes into caramelized, rustic sweetness that complements their fresh counterparts quite well. I think if my 8-year-old self, peach juice dripping down my chin as I devoured my fourth peach since my mother had started canning the 100+ pounds of fruit in our kitchen an hour earlier, would thoroughly approve of this caramelized show-stopper.

The original cake is from Florence Fabricant, who published her brilliant recipe in NYT cooking. I’ve changed a few things so that the cake is gluten free and is adjusted to account for the dryness of gluten free flours. I always like to substitute a bit of the gluten free flour for almond meal, as it tends to give cakes a moister texture, but that’s up to you! Other gluten free combinations like coconut flour with xanthan gum and a bit of tapioca starch might also be a good mix to use here.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Gluten Free Summer Peach Upside Down Cake

Summery cake with tons of caramelized peaches

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: cake, easy, gluten free, peaches, summer, upside down cake

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• 2 9-inch round cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Electric hand or stand mixer

Ingredients

For the upside down and on top bit:

• 5-7 ripe medium-sized peaches
• 1 Cup white sugar 266g
• 1/2 Cup water
• pinch salt

For the cake:

• 3/4 Cup white sugar 200g
• 1/2 Cup softened salted butter 113g
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 Cup sour cream 75g
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 Cup gluten free flour 1-1 mix 145g
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (unless your mix already has some in it)
• 1/2 Cup almond meal or flour 90g
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and then line with parchment. Start by assembling the upside down bit. Cut and pit the peaches, slicing into 1/4-inch thick pieces (not too thick) and laying them in whatever pattern you like in the bottom of each pan so that the entire base of the pan is covered in peach slices.
• Then, in a small saucepan, heat the 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water over medium high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely, and then continue to boil on medium low heat, watching closely, until it turns just amber in color/dark gold (about 7 minutes). Take off the head immediately and pour (carefully and slowly) over the peaches – be sure to cover the entire peach arrangements in each pan. If you run out of caramel sauce, you can always make a second batch! Set aside the pans.
• Then, make the cake batter. In a medium bowl, use an electric hand or stand mixer to beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, the vanilla, and the sour cream, then slowly mix in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Pour half of the batter into each pan over the caramel and peaches, spreading evenly (it will be a thin layer). If you'd like, you can peel, pit, and slice any extra peaches and lay them in a pattern on the top of the cake batter.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden brown and set (does not jiggle) and a knife or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool almost completely before serving. This cake is wonderful on it's own or topped with vanilla ice cream or cream!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cake!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber