A lovely, creamy peach cake with chunks of peaches in a lightly set, creamy, custard-style filling, channelling the flavours of peaches and cream. A lovely way to enjoy fresh peaches, or try it with canned peaches.
This Peaches and Cream Cake is a “cake” in the very loosest meaning of the word. It’s mostly peaches, held together with a creamy custard-style filling. The cake bakes up into a form that is barely set on the outside and creamy on the inside. It’s very mildly sweet, which really lets the flavour of the peaches shine.
I’ve enjoyed this peaches and cream cake cold from the fridge, at room temperature, and slightly warm and honestly, it’s nice all ways. It’s lovely enjoyed as is, or you can never go wrong with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Peaches – When fresh peaches are available, I think they’re the best choice for this cake. According to readers, canned or tinned peaches will also work here, though I haven’t personally tested this substitution. I don’t recommend trying frozen peaches, as the extra liquid from the frozen fruit may make this cake watery and too loose.
Milk – Whole, full-fat milk (3 – 3/5% b.f.) will produce the nicest results, though 2% milk should work fine in a pinch, as would half-and-half cream (10% b.f.). I haven’t tested this recipe with non-dairy milk.
How to make peaches and cream cake: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by peeling and pitting the peaches and cutting them into 1/2-inch chunks. Set aside.
Step 2: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 4: Add the eggs and sugar to a mixer with the whisk attachment.
Step 5: Whisk until light and fluffy.
Step 6: Mix in the milk.
Step 7: Mix in the melted and slightly cooled butter.
Step 8: Mix in the flour mixture.
Step 9: The finished batter should be light and creamy with soft peaks.
Step 10: Add the prepared peaches to the batter and fold in.
Step 11: Spoon the batter into a greased 8-inch springform pan and level the top.
Step 12: Bake until set and deep golden in colour.
How to make peaches and cream cake: video
Recipe tips!
- I like to refrigerate this cake in the pan before trying to remove it to a serving plate. It’s a little more stable when chilled.
- It’s a little tricky to gauge when this cake is done. It should bake between 50 and 55 minutes and be deeply golden over most of the top. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and then, ideally, pop into the refrigerator for an hour or two before removing from the pan. Refrigerate in the pan if making ahead.
How to peel a peach the easy way!
I’m sure we all know about the boil then ice bath method of peach peeling, but I’m sure we all would agree that’s a lot of work, especially when we only need a few peeled peaches. When working with firm (not overly-ripe) peaches, my go-to method of peeling peaches is a good, sharp vegetable peeler, specifically a Y-shape peeler.
A good, sharp Y-peeler can quickly and easily remove just the skin, so there’s little wasting of good peach. The nice thing about a Y peeler is that it’s perfectly angled to take thin peelings, when peeling from top to bottom around the outside of the peach.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This peaches and cream cake can easily be made several hours ahead and refrigerated; in fact, it is best and more set after sitting in the fridge for several hours. You can serve it cold from the fridge or at room temperature.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this cake as it may change in texture from the freeze/thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Peaches and Cream Cake
Ingredients
- 6-8 fresh peaches, about 3 1/2 cups chopped *see Note 2
- 1/3 cup (76 g) butter, melted, salted or unsalted, slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup (63 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt, if using unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (130 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 6 Tablespoons (88 ml) whole milk , at room temperature (3% b.f.) *see Note 1
- 1-2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, for the pan
- Icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting before serving
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch springform pan. (If you don't have a springform, you can use a regular round 8-inch cake pan, but note that it may be more difficult to remove from the pan unless you line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper. I suggest refrigerating for an hour before attempting to remove the cake from the pan.)
- Sprinkle the inside of the greased pan with a bit of 1-2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (for the pan). Wrap the outside of the springform pan in a piece of aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 355° F. (regular bake setting – adjust as needed for convection or fan-assisted baking).
- Peel the 6-8 fresh peaches (about 3 1/2 cups chopped *see Note 2), cut the flesh off the sides, then cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Set aside.
- Melt the 1/3 cup butter (melted, salted or unsalted, slightly cooled) and set aside to let it cool slightly (stirring helps to cool it). In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and levelled), 1 teaspoon baking powder and pinch salt (if using unsalted butter). Set aside.
- Add the 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk and 2/3 cup white granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl with an electric mixer). Mix at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) and mix it in. Add the 6 Tablespoons whole milk (at room temperature (3% b.f.) *see Note 1), the cooled, melted butter and then the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Gently fold the prepared peaches into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. (*You'll know you have enough peaches if they poke above the batter when you pour it in the pan. If not, maybe add another). If you like, you can sprinkle the top with white sugar before baking for a sweet top crust.
- Bake in a preheated 355° oven for 45-55 minutes. The cake should be evenly deep golden on top and should have pulled away from the sides of the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing if you want to enjoy it right away. If not, I suggest transferring the pan to the refrigerator to chill before removing it from the pan and/or slicing. Slice and serve cool, at room temperature or slightly re-warmed, garnished with a dusting of icing sugar.
- Dress up this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, if you like.
- This cake can be made ahead and refrigerated. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing isn't recommended as the texture of the cake may become grainy.
Notes
Watch how to make it
More peach recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Could I use frozen peaches?
Hi Pauline and yes, I think you could. I would thaw and pat dry before adding to the batter. Enjoy!
Does this turn out like a clafoutis?
Hi Elise, it has more fruit than a clafoutis and a slightly different texture, but it is probably more clafoutis like than cake like. Hope that helps :)
My MIL just brought over a large basket of fresh peaches from the local farm and I’ve been searching for a recipe to make with them. I saw this beautiful Peaches and Cream Cake on your home page and I literally thought BINGO! This cake look so delicious and right up my alley!! I’m making this tomorrow or Thursday – can’t wait!!!!
Thanks Cheyanne and enjoy! It’s a lovely way to enjoy those peaches :)
Hi Jennifer, I am an experienced baker with a newly discovered egg sensitivity so I played a bit. I decided I only wanted a half recipe because there’s just two of us. Instead of egg I used yogurt and instead of milk I used whipping cream so that it would fluff up a bit. I increased the flour and baking powder a bit so that it had a bit more leavening and texture. I was worried it would be too wet otherwise. I sprinkled cinnamon and a bit of sugar on top for baking. It turned out quite nicely albeit a little more pudding-like than cake. I will be interested to see how it is when cooled as it was quite warm, verging on hot, when I ate it.
It may set up a bit more once refrigerated, Kathy-Anne. Unfortunately, I think the eggs in this one are an important part of the ability of it to set up nicely, as it is really somewhat of a thickened custard. That said, if your version tasted good, it’s all good :)
Wondering how many cans and what size of canned peaches everyone used that made this with canned.
Made this once and everyone loved it. Now making it for a larger crowd.
If I double the recipe, could I bake it in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Stacy and so glad you enjoyed it. I haven’t actually done it in a 9×13-inch pan, but I have no reason to believe it wouldn’t work just fine :)
I made this cake a couple of days ago and am enjoying a slice right now! It’s delicious. I used white peaches and baked it in my cast iron skillet. Although the cake is very soft and moist, it held up fine after cooling and I was able to turn it out of the cast iron onto a serving plate. I whipped some cream sweetened with maple syrup for serving. So so yummy! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
So glad you are enjoying it, Rachel :) Thanks so much!
Wondering if this could be made in ramekins and how long to cook them!
Hi Ren and yes, you could definitely make this in ramekins. As for baking time, I have no idea, as I haven’t tried it myself. Of course, it would depend on the size of the ramekins, as well. You would just need to watch very closely and bake until set. Enjoy!
What can I use instead of whole milk? I was thinking Carnation evaporated milk?
Hi Paula, and yes, you could try evaporated milk. I would use the full-fat one. Enjoy!
Made this using tinned apricots and tinned pitted dark cherries. I simply drained them first. I also doubled the recipe to make a 8″ cake. Absolutely delicious!
Sounds lovely :) Thanks!
I made this, and it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! Thanks for the recipe
So glad to hear, Bonita :) Thanks so much!
delicious recipe. Just wondering if anyone has used fresh strawberries or apricots??
Thanks Susie :) I haven’t tried other fruit. I suspect apricots would work very similarly to peaches. Not as sure about strawberries. Maybe someone has tried it and can weigh in for you. Thanks!
Made this using canned peaches. It is delicious. Definitely will make again.
So glad to hear, Cheryl :) Thanks so much!
I scaled down the recipe a bit and made it in a regular 8″ cake tin. This is a really wonderful recipe — creamy without cream, and lots and lots of peaches. I will be making this regularly — my husband and I devoured half of the cake the first night, because it’s that good.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sue :) Thanks so much!
Such a delicious dessert! Just the right amount of sweetness. I’ve made this four times this summer and it will definitely be my go to for summers to come!
So glad to hear, Margaret! Thanks so much :)