Brown Butter Peach Upside Down Cake

What could be better in the Summertime than Fresh Peach Upside Down Cake made with Brown Butter? Soft vanilla cake with juicy, tangy, caramel-y, sweet peaches! No mixer needed!

There’s a reason that we describe situations as “just peachy”, or someone we love as “They’re a peach!” right? Because peaches themselves are just that awesome! Sweet, tangy, juicy – what’s not to love? Fresh, frozen, dried, canned. Truly, what’s not to love? So when it’s peach season, I try to make the most of it. And, this Brown Butter Peach Upside Down Cake, for me, is THE cake of the season! I’ve amped up the cake’s flavor by using Brown Butter – an extra step that gives the cake a rich, nutty flavor. Also, the cake is a Sour Cream Cake, to complement the tanginess of the peaches, and give it a pleasing, tender, poundcake-like texture. And, best of all, no mixer is required – just mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, then combine. 

The only extra step is to make the brown butter. Now, if you’ve never made your own brown butter, it’s not that difficult. Truly. A few minutes in a pan, over some heat. You’ll need to watch it the whole time, because, while brown butter is awesome, burnt butter is definitely a tragedy. I’ve included some photos below of what the process should look like at key points. You could use softened butter for sure, but brown butter gives the cake an extra richness and nuttiness you’ll definitely want over and over. And I topped my cake with a tangy/sweet sour cream sauce made with just sour cream and brown sugar. You could use whipped cream, but I liked the not-as-sweet sour cream topping.

 

I can’t tell you how quick this cake disappeared in my house. Although I did demand request we eat some the day I baked it, and some the next day, just for comparison. As often happens, the “second-day-cake” had better flavor and texture in comparison to the first-day cake. So, that’s my recommendation for sure! Bake it the day before you want to serve it. I know the waiting is the hardest part, but you’ll be rewarded. Promise!

So, are you patient enough to wait for the second day? Or, will you test it, like we did? If you do, let me know – are you a “day it’s baked” person, or a “second-day cake” eater?

Enjoy!

For other delicious peach recipes, check out:

Peach Snickerdoodle No-Churn Ice Cream

Easy Peach Crisp Trifle

Super Moist Peach Lime Pound Cake

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Classic Peach Crisp!

Deep Dish Peach Crumble Pie

 

How to Make Brown Butter Upside Down Cake:

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Some things you might need to make this cake recipe:

• A large and a medium bowl – This shape of bowl is my favorite!
• Silicone Spatula
• Whisk – I always love an OXO! – they last and are easy to use!
• 9″ pan – You’ll love a USA Pan!
• Cakestand – so many to choose from!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Peach Upside Down Cake Recipe:

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Brown the Butter and Prepare the Peach layer

1. Make the Brown butter – This is a simple way to amp up the the rich and nutty flavors in butter. I use regular (salted) butter. You just need to keep an eye on it while it browns, and be ready to remove it from the heat once you see the brown bits of milk solids form, then move to the bottom of the pan. At medium heat, the butter will melt, begin to spatter, then foam quite substantially. You should swirl or stir it every minute or so everything cooks evenly. When the foam begins to brown it’s just about ready. You’ll be able to see browned bits of milk solids move to the bottom of the pan. This is the moment to remove it from the heat. I keep a Pyrex measuring cup nearby and pour it into that when it’s done.
2. Prepare your pan – It may seem like overkill, but you’ll be glad you did it all! Butter or spray the bottom of a 9″ round cake pan. Cut a parchment circle the exact size of the pan by tracing the bottom in pencil. Place it over the buttered bottom. Then, butter (or spray) the parchment bottom and sides of the pan.
3. Peel the Peaches – Ripe peaches are hard to peel. But if you take a sharp knife and score a large “X” into the skin at the bottom of the peach, and drop it into a pot of boiling water, and remove after 1 minute, the skin will loosen nicely. You’ll be able to easily pull the skin off with your fingers. Cut the peach in half, remove the pit, and slice each half into 8-12 thin slices.
4. Line the pan with peach slices – There’s no defined plan here, just dump or arrange the peach halves into the buttered, parchment-lines pan. If you have 3 Medium to Medium-Large peaches, they should all fit. Then, mix up the butter and brown sugar mixture and pour it over the peaches, and encouraging it to go to the bottom is perfect-it makes more caramelized bits! Set aside while you mix up the cake batter.

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Make the Batter and Bake the Cake

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients – Just whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
2. Mix the Wet Ingredients – First whisk the eggs a bit, then add sour cream, whisk again. Then add the rest of the liquid ingredients. Again, whisk to combine. The mix should be smooth.
3. Add the Wet to the Dry Ingredients – Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, mix just until combined, and mostly smooth.
4. Pour the batter over Peaches – Smooth the top a bit.
5. Bake – in the preheated oven, 38-44 mins ( mine took 41 mins). The cake should bounce back when touched and have begun pulling away from the pan’s sides, or register 190F when tested with a thermometer.

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