Peach Upside Down Cake

“Come clean with a child heart
Laugh as peaches in the summer wind
Let rain on a house roof be a song
Let the writing on your face
be a smell of apple orchards on late June.”

Carl Sandburg, Honey and Salt

While you can still get peaches, run and make this cake!  Made in a skillet, the peach slices are set in a quick rich caramel.  The cake layer is spooned on top of the peaches.  With added sour cream in the batter, it is super moist, fluffy and not too sweet:  a lovely counter point to the decadent, oozing caramelized peaches. I spiked mine with some Amaretto liqueur.   Similar to a tarte tatin, it is super easy to make.

I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Mollie at Frugal Haus Frau.  You can find the original recipe here.

Caramelized Peach Upside Down Cake

• Servings: 8-10
• Print

4 medium peaches, peeled and cut into thick wedges just before using,  about 10 slices per peach
1 cup cake flour ( or measure 1 cup of flour, remove one tablespoon and substitute with 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided: 1/2 cup for caramel, 3/4 cup for the cake
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided, at room temperature:  1 stick for the cake, 1/2 stick for the caramel
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla, brandy or amaretto
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil to catch any drips.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.
3. In a 10 inch oven-safe skillet, melt 1/2 cup granulated sugar over medium heat, until sugar melts and turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat. Add the 1/4 cup of butter, broken up in pieces,  stirring non-stop with the wooden spoon until the butter is melted. Stir in the brown sugar and mix until incorporated and the caramel coats the back of the spoon.  Remove from heat and swirl around your skillet to coat the bottom evenly.
4. Arrange the peach slices in a concentric pattern working from the outside towards the middle in the caramel.  Set aside until the batter is ready.
5. With an electric mixer, beat the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add sour cream, beating until blended, then the vanilla or liqueur.   I used amaretto.
6. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating at low-speed just until blended. Drop the batter over the peaches in dollops and spread to cover. Place the skillet on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the skillet on a wire rack 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen.
8. While holding onto the cake,  pour out any syrup from the skillet into a measuring cup and reserve. Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate, and drizzle with any reserved syrup.  You may or may not have extra syrup, depending on the juiciness of the peaches used.  I found this hard to do even with a second pair of hands without risking breaking the cake and got very little syrup to run out.  Once I flipped the cake, there was a lot of syrup in the skillet so I quickly turned it over and poured the syrup directly from the skillet onto the top of the cake.  
9. Cut cake into wedges using a serrated knife. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Recipe adapted from Southern Living and Frugal Hausfrau.com

The gorgeous amber caramel.

The peaches in the caramel before the batter was added.

Is your mouth watering yet?