Peach and Almond Cake

June 2, 2021marissamakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves: 6-8

This peach cake is essentially what you would get if you crossed amaretti with a butter cake and filled it with fruit. It has the beautiful, deep sweetness of brown sugar, the soft texture and nutty flavor from the almond flour, and perfect moisture and tartness from stone fruit. It’s a great recipe for summer, because you can use any stone fruit you like. It’s fantastic made as written with just peaches, and is equally good with plums, apricots, or a mix.

Slice of peach and almond cake

I love stone fruit. Every summer I’m eating stone fruit for practically every meal. But sometimes making galettes and pies gets a bit tiring, and you just need to switch it up a little bit.

This cake is a combination of all things good and delicious: almond flour for flavor and texture, muscovado sugar for complex sweetness, warming spices, and of course, stone fruit! This version of the recipe simply calls for peaches, but you can easily substitute in any of your favorite stone fruits. I’ve made it with apricots, nectarines, and plums, and it’s all turned out fantastic.

Types of flour

This peach cake recipe is made with half all purpose flour, and half almond flour. Nut flours tend to retain a lot more moisture and tenderness once baked, and I am a firm believer that almond is the perfect flavor match for summer stone fruits. The all purpose flour in the recipe helps the cake retain a bit more structural integrity, while the almond flour ensures that it turns out deliciously soft, and never dry.

It should be noted that because of both the fruit content, and flour types of this cake, it is extremely moist, and can have a tendency to sink a little bit in the center. Don’t worry if it does– the warm, brown sugar buttery goodness of the crumb is well worth a little bit of sinkage. Plus, it still always looks beautiful, especially topped with a bit of powdered sugar.

The fruit is the star

This cake is really all about showcasing the best that the summer season has to offer. It has fruit inside the cake, and is topped with sliced fruit as well, because a peach cake should taste like… well… peaches!

Basket of peaches

That said, you can use any type of stone fruit that you like for this cake. Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and I always have them on hand in the summer, but this cake works spectacularly with apricots, plums, and nectarines as well.

I suggest adding the topping layer of fruit part way through baking, once the cake has had a chance to firm up a bit. If you add the fruit at the beginning, it will likely sink into the cake, which truly only matters if you’re concerned about aesthetics. I always add my fruit topping layer halfway through the bake, but regardless of when you do it, the cake will be delicious.

Sugar and spice

This recipe calls for three types of sugar (four if you use powdered sugar for serving), and this variety serves a few purposes. The addition of the muscovado sugar to the granulated sugar gives the depth of flavor of brown sugar, and helps lend a delightful tenderness to the crumb. The turbinado sugar is a great touch for texture when sprinkled on top part way through baking.

If you’ve tried some of my other recipes, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of adding spices to pretty much everything. I think the spices in this recipe are a must, because they really add to the complexity of the flavor, and help to balance sweetness. However, if you are sensitive to spice, you can cut back or omit them.

Similarly, this recipe calls for one teaspoon of almond extract. If we’re being honest, when I make this cake for myself, I usually end up doubling that. I LOVE almond extract in my bakes. So if you’re a big fan of almond flavor, feel free to add a bit more to this recipe– it will only make it better!

Equipment

I always bake this cake in a springform pan, but if you don’t have one, a 9″ round cake pan will do. Just be sure to line it with parchment, and grease well.

How to serve and store

You can serve this cake as is, with powdered sugar, or with extra sliced fruit. If you have any left over (which I doubt you will!), store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. This cake isn’t just for dessert: leftover slices make a great accompaniment with a cup of coffee or espresso. Just sayin’.

I hope you give this cake a try! It’s one of my favorites, is very forgiving and easy to adjust to whatever you have on hand, and is absolutely delicious. Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your bakes, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about your bakes!

Peach and almond cake
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Peach and Almond Cake

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 50 minutes
  • Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Serves: 6-8

Perfect for summer, this cake is what you would get if you crossed amaretti with a butter cake and filled it with stone fruit. It's a great recipe for the season, because you can use any stone fruit you like. It's fantastic as written with just peaches, and is equally good with plums, apricots, or a mix.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 Cup All purpose flour
  • 1 Cup Almond flour, finely ground
  • 1/4 tsp Ground cloves
  • Pinch Ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 4 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 stick Unsalted butter, (8 tbsp, room temperature)
  • 1 Cup Granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Dark muscovado sugar, or dark brown sugar
  • 4 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp Pure almond extract
  • 3-4 Medium peaches or other stone fruit , pitted and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
  • Turbinado or raw sugar, for sprinkling

For serving

  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
  • Extra sliced fruit

Method

Cake method

  • 1)

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly grease a 9″ springform pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray, and set aside.

  • 2)

    In a medium bowl, sift together the almond flour and all purpose flour, and then whisk the flours with the other dry ingredients and spices.

  • 3)

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and muscovado sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, and then add the vanilla and almond extracts.

  • 4)

    Turn the stand mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, making sure to avoid lumps in the batter without over-mixing. Fold in about 1/3-1/2 of the sliced fruit, reserving the rest for the top of the cake.

  • 5)

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for about 25 minutes or until the top has begun to firm up and set. Carefully remove the cake from the oven, and top with the remaining slices of fruit in an even, decorative layer. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and return it to the oven for the remaining 20-30 minutes of baking time.

  • 6)

    Begin checking for doneness around the 45-50 minute mark. The cake is done when it is nicely browned, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Because this is such a moist cake, the toothpick will likely have some crumbs attached to it, but it should not be coated in wet batter.

  • 7)

    Allow to cool for a few minutes on a wire rack still in the pan before releasing the edge of the springform and removing fully it to cool further.

  • 8)

    Serve with powdered sugar and additional sliced fruit, as desired.

Notes

If you are a fan of almond extract like I am, feel free to double the amount called for in the recipe.
Peaches can be substituted with any type of stone fruit that you have on hand.

This recipe was adapted from Amanda Frederickson.

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