It’s the time of year when peaches are on their way out the door. The last of the year’s bounty sat on my countertop a little too long–but on the plus side, this means baked peaches! Of course, I had to try my hand at this upside down peach almond cake swimming in caramel and fluffy almond flour…yum. What’s more, this recipe could easily be made gluten-free.
The hardest part about this recipe was waiting for the dang thing to bake…you don’t have to be overly precious with the peach slicing, and pretty much all the fat and liquids get whipped together in the same bowl then folded into the dry ingredients.
I always love pairing peaches with something a little more rich and savory as they are so sweet and juicy when they’re ripe–or indeed, a little overly ripe. This recipe is perfect for those end of summer “imperfect” peaches you have left hanging around; and presenting them in this upside down cake is just about the best sendoff a wrinkly peach could ask for. Don’t ask me how I know, just make the cake. 🙂
Is Almond Flour Gluten Free?
Yes! Almond flour is gluten free. It is essentially just pulverized almonds and makes for a rich, nutty cake that is surprisingly fluffy and indulgent. I promise, you will not miss the gluten in this cake.
Is Peach Upside Down Cake Healthy?
While there’s still an abundance of sugar and butter in this recipe, adding peaches to your diet in any sense is generally considered in good form–especially with the skins and fiber intact. (For more on that, check out my recent post on why peaches make a delightful, healthy snack!) Additionally, the almond flour in the cake helps to balance some of the more “sinful” ingredients with a more wholesome backbone.
Is Almond Flour Healthy?
Almond flour has natural, healthy fats from the nuts–but it also has fiber and protein as well. I am not saying eating a slice of this cake is the equivalent of eating a protein bar, but all things considered, the almond flour adds some nutritive substance in what could otherwise be just another sugary cake. In fact, this cake is perfect for snacking!
Is Almond Flour Keto-Friendly?
Yes, almond flour is keto-friendly. However, there IS sugar in this recipe–but you could always skip the caramel and use a sugar substitute instead. In fact, you could skip the whole “upside down” bit and simply add chopped peaches to the cake.
Recipe for Peach Almond Cake
You will love noshing on this delicious cake! Mine was gone within two days…I’ll bet yours doesn’t even last that long! The peaches freshen up the whole thing and keep the cake from feeling too dense while the almond flour actually helps you with portion control. You really can’t overeat this cake unless you are good and well determined to. AND if you do overindulge on cake, I will be the last one to blow the whistle on you.
First, gather your ingredients and prepare a cake tin.
Next, make a “caramel” (in this case, it’s a “halfway” caramel adding butter and sugar to a pot until they boil). The caramel will finish transforming in the oven. Cut your peaches into slices of the desired width, spread caramel into the bottom of the cake tin, and arrange the peaches however you like. (CAUTION: THE CARAMEL WILL BE HOT. Please don’t burn yourself.)
Part of the beauty of this recipe is that it will work with peaches that are a little underripe all the way up until overly ripe peaches. The caramel will mask any imperfect flavors here, but like they say… “Garbage in, garbage out.” Don’t use peaches you wouldn’t still serve to guests in some way or another.
As you can see, I arranged my peach slices concentrically…but you could also run your peaches up against a mandolin and overlap circles that way, or really add the peaches any way you like.
Next up, whip up your butter, sugar, and eggs for what may feel like an eternity when you’ve got peach almond cake on the mind. Mix together gently with dry ingredients, and spread over the arranged peaches.
As you can see, this batter is chonky. This is in order to stand up next to the peaches, which essentially stew in their own juices and the makeshift caramel sauce.
What’s more, this recipe uses quite a few eggs. This is to help hold the almond flour together, since it is gluten-free and does not have the elasticity of a traditional sponge (from Blue Diamond).
Next, you’ll want to bake until a toothpick comes out of the center relatively dry and without any gloop sticking to it. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then flip and enjoy!
Best served with crème fraîche, vanilla ice cream, or full fat yogurt.
This cake was not long for this world…
Five minutes later…
Peach Almond Cake (Peach Upside Down Cake)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs salted butter
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2-4 fresh peaches, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbs honey
- 6 eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan and butter a round of parchment paper cut to size within the pan. Slice peaches, either in circles with a mandolin or into wedges with a knife. Set aside.
- In a small, heavy bottomed pot, combine the butter, brown sugar, and salt, and stir over medium high heat until the butter has melted and the sugar begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Use a spatula to spoon the sugar mixture into the prepared cake pan, evenly over the buttered parchment paper. Arrange sliced peaches over the sugar mixture and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, whip the butter with honey and brown sugar for about five minutes, until incorporated and very fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, pushing down the mixture with a spatula each time before adding the next egg. You want the eggs to be well incorporated. (The mixture may start to separate. This is ok.)
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix. (As you'll notice, there's no leavening agent in this recipe. The fluffiness of the cake relies on the whipped butter, sugar, and eggs--so the more you whip your butter mixture, the fluffier your cake will be.)
- Spoon the batter over the peaches evenly and place in the oven for about 50 minutes, or until the cake begins to brown and pull away from the edges. A toothpick should come out cleanly from the center. (I baked mine for 40 minutes and it was nowhere near done--but it's safer to underbake, check, and add time rather than overbake!)
- Once done, pull the cake from the oven and allow to cool within the tin for about 15 minutes. Using a knife, run around the edges of the cake tin, place a cake plate over the tin and, CAREFULLY, using potholders, flip the cake over onto the cake plate. Be mindful of the hot sugar/caramel mixture and wear your armor! The cake should come out cleanly and easily.
- Allow to cool for another 10 minutes or so before digging in. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or with crème fraîche, unsweetened full fat yogurt, or vanilla ice cream. Keeps for three days wrapped well on the countertop. (I do not recommend refrigerating this cake, unless you absolutely have to. It does, however, freeze beautifully.)