Get ready to fall in love with this incredibly easy peach cake recipe. It’s a wonderfully moist, tender cake bursting with sweet, juicy peaches, all made from scratch with simple pantry staples. Forget complicated steps and long ingredient lists; this is the perfect dessert for a quick weeknight treat, a summer barbecue, or a cozy afternoon snack. We’ve designed this recipe to be foolproof, ensuring you get a perfect result every single time.
Whether you have a bounty of fresh summer peaches, a can in the pantry, or a bag in the freezer, this recipe works beautifully. It’s the kind of comforting, rustic dessert that brings everyone to the table. Let’s bake something amazing together!
Why This is the Easiest Peach Cake You’ll Ever Make
We don’t call this an easy peach cake recipe for nothing! It’s designed for simplicity and flavor, proving that you don’t need to be an expert baker to create a stunning dessert.
- One-Bowl Wonder: The cake batter comes together in a single bowl, which means less mess and faster cleanup.
- Pantry Staples: You likely have all the ingredients you need right now in your kitchen. No fancy items required!
- Super Versatile: This recipe is fantastic with fresh, canned, or even frozen peaches, so you can enjoy it all year round.
- Incredibly Moist: We use a secret ingredient (sour cream!) to guarantee a tender, moist crumb that stays fresh for days.
The Simple Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe relies on basic ingredients to create a truly spectacular cake. Here’s what you’ll need to gather.
For the Peach Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cake.
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: A mix of both gives the cake a wonderful depth of flavor and moisture.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These are our leavening agents that help the cake rise and become fluffy.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances all the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted for easy mixing and rich flavor.
- Eggs: Use large, room-temperature eggs for the best texture.
- Sour Cream: The key to an ultra-moist cake! Full-fat Greek yogurt also works in a pinch.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Peaches: About 3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced. We’ll cover how to use canned or frozen below!
For the Optional Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Granulated Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
How to Make This Easy Peach Cake Recipe: A Step-by-Step Guide
You’re just a few simple steps away from a warm, delicious peach cake. Let’s walk through it together.
- Prep Your Pan and Oven: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan. This ensures your cake won’t stick.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar is key.
- Mix in the Wet Ingredients: Pour the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are perfectly fine!
- Assemble and Bake: Spread half of the batter into your prepared pan. Arrange a single layer of sliced peaches over the batter. Top with the remaining batter and arrange the rest of the peaches on top. If you’re using it, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the peaches.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Peaches?
One of the best things about this simple peach cake is its versatility. Here’s how to handle each type of peach for the best results.
- Fresh Peaches: This is the ideal choice during peak season! Use ripe but firm peaches. Peel them, remove the pit, and slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Canned Peaches: A fantastic pantry-friendly option. Make sure to drain them very well and pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This is crucial to prevent a soggy cake.
- Frozen Peaches: You can use them straight from the freezer! Do not thaw them first, as they will release too much water. Toss them with a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the batter to help absorb extra moisture.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Moist Peach Cake
Want to ensure your cake is absolutely flawless? Follow these simple but effective tips.
- Do Not Overmix: Mix the batter until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to a tough, dry cake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature eggs and sour cream helps the batter mix together evenly, creating a more uniform texture.
- Don’t Crowd the Peaches: Arrange the peaches in a single layer. Overlapping them too much can create pockets of moisture that make the cake soggy.
- Check for Doneness Correctly: Ovens can vary. Start checking your cake at the 40-minute mark. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter.
Fun Variations to Try
While this easy peach cake recipe is fantastic as is, it’s also a great base for other flavors. For a richer dessert, consider adding a sweet crumble topping like in our favorite Blueberry Coffee Cake. You could also add a simple vanilla glaze once the cake has cooled. For a different flavor profile, try our delicious Apple Fritter Bread (coming soon), which uses a similar simple cake base.
Storing Your Peach Cake
To keep your cake fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need to store it longer, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. The cake is delicious served warm or at room temperature. For a special treat, warm up a slice and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
While this recipe is designed to be made from scratch and is very simple, you could adapt it. To use a cake mix, you would typically follow the package directions for the batter and then gently fold in your prepared peaches before baking.
Absolutely! Canned peaches work wonderfully. Just make sure to drain them very well and pat them completely dry with paper towels before adding them to the batter to prevent the cake from becoming soggy.
The key is to manage moisture. If using canned peaches, drain and dry them thoroughly. If using frozen peaches, do not thaw them and toss them in a tablespoon of flour before adding to the batter. Also, avoid layering the peaches too thickly.
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute it with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt. It will provide a similar moisture and tangy flavor to the cake.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this simple and satisfying cake, you’ll love exploring some of our other reader-favorite recipes. For another fruity delight, try our Lemon Custard Cake (coming soon). If you’re in the mood for something truly decadent, these Brownie Bottom Mini Cheesecakes are a guaranteed hit. And for a classic comfort dessert, nothing beats our Pecan Pie Cheesecake (coming soon).
Enjoy Your Perfect Peach Cake!
There you have it—a simple, delicious, and moist peach cake that is sure to become a new favorite. This recipe proves that you don’t need complicated ingredients to make a truly memorable dessert. We hope you love it as much as we do!
If you try this recipe, we’d love to see it! Share a photo and tag us on Pinterest. Happy baking!
Easy Peach Cake Recipe
Easy Peach Cake Recipe (From Scratch!)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Add the melted butter, room temperature eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Arrange a single layer of sliced peaches over the batter.
- Top with the remaining batter and arrange the rest of the peaches on top. In a small bowl, mix the 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon, then sprinkle over the peaches.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Tip 2: If using canned peaches, be sure to drain them thoroughly and pat them dry to avoid a soggy cake.
Tip 3: Do not overmix the batter. Mix only until the flour is just incorporated for a light and fluffy texture.
