Description
This is the kind of old-fashioned cake that feels right at home on a family dessert table. It is simple enough to make for a weekend treat but beautiful enough to serve at a summer brunch, birthday celebration, church gathering, potluck, or Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
For the Peach Buttermilk Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Peach Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons peach juice, milk, or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon peach preserves, optional
For Garnishing
- Fresh peach slices
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh mint leaves, optional
- Chopped toasted pecans, optional
Instructions
Start by washing your peaches thoroughly. Peel them if desired, remove the pits, and cut them into small pieces.
Place the diced peaches in a bowl and toss them with the fresh lemon juice. The lemon juice helps keep the peaches looking fresh while also adding a subtle brightness to their flavor.
Sprinkle the peaches with about 1 tablespoon of flour and gently toss until they’re lightly coated.
This little step is important because the flour helps keep the peach pieces from sinking completely to the bottom of the cake while baking.
Set the peaches aside.
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
Generously grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with softened butter or baking spray. Make sure you get into every groove because Bundt pans can be notorious for sticking.
For extra insurance, dust the greased pan lightly with flour and shake out any excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mixing the dry ingredients separately ensures that the leavening agents are distributed evenly throughout the flour.
Set the bowl aside.
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat them together for approximately 4–5 minutes, until the mixture becomes pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in texture.
Don’t rush this step. Properly creaming the butter and sugar helps incorporate air into the batter, which contributes to the cake’s tender texture.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Beat well after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Once all four eggs are incorporated, mix in the vanilla extract and almond extract if you’re using it.
The almond extract is optional, but it pairs beautifully with peaches and gives the cake a subtle bakery-style flavor.
Add approximately one-third of the flour mixture to the batter.
Mix gently.
Add half of the buttermilk and mix again.
Continue alternating the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Do not overmix.
Once the last bit of flour disappears, stop mixing.
Overmixing can develop too much gluten and make the finished cake heavier than necessary.
Gently fold the prepared peaches into the batter using a rubber spatula.
Take your time and fold carefully so the peaches remain intact.
The finished batter will be thick, which is completely normal for this type of cake.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan.
Use a spatula to smooth the top.
Gently tap the pan against the countertop once or twice to remove any large air pockets.
Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 70–85 minutes.
Begin checking around the 70-minute mark.
Insert a long wooden skewer or toothpick into the thickest part of the cake. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
If the cake is browning too quickly on top, loosely cover it with aluminum foil during the final part of baking.
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
Allow it to cool in the pan for approximately 15–20 minutes.
Carefully invert the Bundt pan onto the rack.
Let the cake cool completely before adding the glaze.
Trying to remove the cake too early can cause it to break apart.
While the cake cools, prepare the glaze.
Add the powdered sugar to a bowl.
Whisk in the peach juice, milk, or cream one tablespoon at a time.
Add the vanilla extract and peach preserves if desired.
Continue whisking until smooth.
You want a glaze that is thick enough to cling to the cake but thin enough to slowly drip down the sides.
If it’s too thick, add another teaspoon of liquid.
If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
Notes
The biggest secret to a great Peach Buttermilk Cake is not overbaking it.
Because peaches naturally contain moisture, the cake may need a little more time than a traditional pound cake. However, you don’t want to bake it until it becomes dry.
Always start checking the cake around the earliest suggested baking time.
Another important tip is to use room-temperature ingredients. Room-temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk blend together more easily and help create a smoother batter.
Don’t skip the flour coating on the peaches. It helps distribute the fruit more evenly throughout the cake.
Finally, allow the cake to cool before glazing. A hot cake will cause the glaze to melt too quickly and slide completely off.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 70–85 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12–16 slices
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 47g
- Sodium: 270mg
- Carbohydrates: 69g
- Protein: 6g