I have an obsession with fruit.
I tend to get attached to the current fruit of the season, and then I’m incredibly sad when that short-lived season ends. Perhaps that’s why winter is so hard for me. No fresh (in season) fruit.
But that’s why summer is the bomb. The farmer’s market is exploding with fruit. Berries, peaches, enormous tomatoes, watermelons as big as my torso. It’s heaven. And lucky for me, it’s been so warm this year that peach season came early. That means we had fresh peaches at the farmer’s market in May. What? Yes. It was awesome. So peaches are my fruit obsession as of late, replacing strawberries for the time being. So we’ve been buying peaches by the bucket-full, and eating them in cobblers, coffee cakes, and all by themselves.
But the most exciting peach creation of the season has been a peach upside-down cake. I’ll admit this was a risky venture, as I don’t care for pineapple upside-down cake, and I’d take a guess that it’s the same thing. But this cake was awesome. We’ve made it twice, to much acclaim. It’s one of those cakes that tastes really good and looks really good at the same time.
Peach Upside-Down Cake
adapted from Southern Living magazine, June 2012
4 medium peaches, unpeeled and cut into 1/3-inch thick wedges
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, and divided
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (one of the 5.3 oz containers)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss peaches with lemon juice.
Sift together four, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Cook 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar melts and turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat. Immediately add 1/4 cup butter, stirring vigorously. Spread mixture in the bottom of a pie dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Arrange peaches in concentric circles over sugar mixture, overlapping as needed.
Split vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out seeds into bowl of a stand mixer. Beat vanilla seeds and remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add yogurt, beating until blended. Gradually add sifted flour mixture, beating at low speed until just blended. Spoon batter over peaches in pie dish, and spread to cover. Place pie dish on the baking sheet (It’s going to drip, so you’re definitely going to want that parchment paper-lined sheet to catch all the drippings and keep your smoke alarm from going off…).
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake.
Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Admire and enjoy!
Happy peach eating! Enjoy them while you can!
-Ally
Sinead says
I love pineapple upside down cake but this looks even better, will def have to try it 🙂