Name: Peach Cake
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: Baking spray with flour; .5 cup unsalted butter; 1.25 cups granulated sugar, divided; 1 large egg; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon); 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup sour cream; 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 3 medium-size (about 1 lb. total) firm-ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 3 cups); .25 cup chopped pecans

A slice of summer perfection.

Anna Theoktisto

Published on May 11, 2021

Peach Cake — Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Active Time:

15 mins

Bake Time:

45 mins

Cool Time:

1 hrs

Total Time:

2 hrs

Servings:

Let us count the many sweet ways we enjoy the Southern peach, from easy cobblers topped with ice cream and upside down bundts spiked with bourbon to buckles and bread pudding. And now it's time to make room for a new delicious cake. This anytime treat starts with three firm-ripe peaches, that are peeled, pitted, and sliced. Our Test Kitchen combined the ripe juicy fruit with cinnamon, sour cream, and pecans for a flavorful twist. So while this recipe is perfect for a summertime dessert, the coffee cake texture and ribbons of cinnamon spice, make it just right for breakfast, brunch, or snacktime too.

Ingredients

Baking spray with flour
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 medium-size (about 1 lb. total) firm-ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 3 cups)
¼ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray; set aside.
Beat butter and ¾ cup of the sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon zest, and continue beating until combined, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, and add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined (batter will be thick).
Spoon two-thirds of batter into prepared pan, spreading to cover bottom. Stir together cinnamon and remaining ½ cup sugar in a small bowl. Arrange half of the peach slices over batter in pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Dollop remaining one-third batter over peach mixture in pan. Top with remaining peach slices, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. Sprinkle with pecans.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.