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Skillet Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside Down Cake…because it’s Friday, and it’s summer! You don’t need to be a skilled baker to bake up this deliciously simple peach upside down skillet cake. This upside down cake has a show-stopping look, but only minimal effort. With fluffy vanilla cake made with browned butter, and caramelized cinnamon sugar-coated peaches, every bite is insanely delicious. Enjoy this peach cake warm, right out of the oven, with a dollop of vanilla bourbon cream. Roll your eyes back delicious!
Well, would you look at that, I finally have a peach recipe for you guys. And even though this peach skillet cake took me a while to create, I couldn’t be happier or more excited. This cake is without a doubt one of my favorite ways to bake with fresh peaches.
It is DELICIOUS…and super simple.
And just the kind of cake we’re looking for in this first full weekend of August. Again, so excited. I feel like I’ve been teasing you guys with the idea of a peach recipe for weeks. To be honest, I’ve been waiting for the perfect peaches to show up, it’s just that they arrived a little late. But it’s OK because the perfect peaches are here. And today we have cake to talk about, so let’s just get right to the sweet stuff.
The inspiration, the process, the craziness…
Alight, so I’m going to give you all a little sneak peek into my mind. Head up, it’s complete craziness.
This recipe started out completely different. It was never an idea for a cake. Somehow though, over the course of a couple of weeks, my peach dessert idea became a peach cake. But only after trying my hand at a few different ideas. Once I had the idea for the cake, I stuck with it.
Originally the cake idea was a three-layer cake with buttercream and the works. I made that four times in a matter of two days. Was it a delicious cake and could I have made it work? Yes, but it needed more time and so much reworking. It was good, but not great. I prefer to share only the best with you all. So after two days and way too many cake layers, I caved, and just gave in.
Well sort of. There was an element from the three-layer cake that I was loving and wanted to incorporate into a simpler recipe…the cinnamon sugar peaches.
And then this cake was created…
Well, once again, kind of. The first version of this cake wasn’t made in a skillet, it was just a normal upside down cake. But then I got to thinking about how delicious some browned butter could be in the cake. That made me think about turning this into a skillet cake. Which is finally how we got to this Skillet Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside Down Cake.
It took a whole lot of head-scratching, and really, just some good old problem solving, to get to this final peach cake. But it was all worth it.
Think crunchy, cinnamon sugar on top, sweet, caramelized summer peaches. Paired with fluffy vanilla cake made with browned butter. Completed with a final caramelized layer of cinnamon sugar peaches with bourbon cream on top.
So good – cream or no cream, just so so GOOD.
The peaches.
I waited and waited for good peaches to arrive here. But I finally caved in. I asked the ever so sweet team from The Peach Truck in Nashville if they would ship me a box. They so kindly sent me two boxes…which I clearly needed for all my rounds of testing.
And guys, I’d never had a real southern peach before…oh my gosh, these peaches are special. Each peach was perfectly sweet, yet crisp and so flavorful. So happy I waited for just the right peaches, they really made this cake.
Skillet Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside Down Cake…the details.
The process is pretty effortless. Start out by browning salted butter on the stove in a cast-iron skillet. Browning the butter really adds a rich nutty flavor to this cake and makes it just a touch cozier. Remove the skillet from the stove and pour the butter into a mixing bowl, but be sure to leave a little butter in the skillet to thoroughly keep the skillet greased. You need the skillet to be coated in butter to ensure that the peaches you’ll be layering on the bottom of the skillet do not stick.
If you are concerned about your peaches sticking to the skillet, I recommend also lining the skillet with parchment paper, then buttering the paper too.
Now, add your basic cake ingredients to the browned butter in the mixing bowl. Just a touch of yogurt (or sour cream), eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk. Once you add the eggs, simply stir in the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. That’s the batter.
Onto the layering. This step is very important.
First, mix together some cinnamon sugar.
Now sprinkle the bottom of the skillet generously with the cinnamon sugar. Add a layer of peaches, then another layer of cinnamon sugar. Pour the batter over the peaches and sprinkle another layer of cinnamon sugar over top the batter. Then add one more layer of peaches and finish with a final layer of cinnamon sugar.
This layering process is important. The cinnamon sugar on the bottom of the skillet will caramelize the peaches and give them a delicious flavor. The cinnamon sugar on top does the very same thing. But it also becomes crunchy in areas and the mix of textures is just delectable.
As the cake bakes, your kitchen will be filled with smells of summer peaches, butter and warming cinnamon.
It. Is. Truly. Wonderful!
Once the cake is done, let it sit five minutes in the skillet, then run a knife around the skillet edges, making sure to release anything that’s stuck. Then, invert the cake onto a severing plate. I know this sounds scary, but I actually had no problems with the step. That said, if any of your peaches stick to the skillet, you can just peel them off and place them back on the cake.
The bourbon cream.
Is this needed? No, not really, and yes, you could easily just serve this cake with ice cream. But the bourbon adds another “cozy” layer that feels very southern and very fitting for this cake.
I found it to be the perfect light dollop to serve atop this warm cake.
And my favorite way to serve this skillet cake? Family style, with a couple of dollops of cream right on top. There’s truly nothing more delicious than eating this right out of the skillet.
Roll. Your. Eyes. Back. Delicious!
So cake tonight? YES!
One final note, as we slowly move into fall at the end of the month, don’t be afraid to swap the peaches for crisp autumn apples. I’m already excited to bake this once September hits!
Looking for other sweet peach recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Peach Ricotta Layer Cake with Browned Butter Buttercream
Skillet Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler
Browned Butter Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon “Toast” Brioche Crumbs
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside Down Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside Down Skillet Cake.
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 508 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 sticks (14 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon plus, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 peaches, thinly sliced
Bourbon Cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the butter to a 10-12 inch oven-safe skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the butter into a large mixing bowl. Line the skillet with parchment paper, then rub with additional butter, making sure every inch of the parchment-lined skillet has been buttered. Set the skillet aside. 2. To the mixing bowl with the browned butter, add the yogurt, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, the vanilla, and milk, beating until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and the salt. Mix until just combined. 3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. 4. Sprinkle the bottom of the buttered skillet with 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar. Arrange the peach slices in a single layer over the sugar, then sprinkle the peaches with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Pour the cake batter over the peaches. Sprinkle the top of the cake with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, then arrange the remaining peach slices on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. 5. Place the skillet on a baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean .Let the cake cool in the skillet for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool slightly. 6. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream and bourbon on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 3-4 minutes. Cut the cake into wedges. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream.
Notes
Leftovers: can be stored, covered, in the skillet or in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
If you Don't Have a Skillet: Use a 9 inch pie plate or spring form pan lined with parchment paper. You will need to bake closer to 55-60 minutes.
This post was originally published on August 7, 2020
Let’s do with 3.5 stars ha! This is beautiful! I made mine in a slightly smaller square cast iron skillet (didn’t need the parchment paper, left enough butter in pan) and baked it for 45 minutes. That was enough for a butter knife to come out clean. I have to admit, I was a little underwhelmed with the flavor of the cake itself. It was dense and I didn’t really mind that. Just something about the flavor didn’t do it for me. It was too eggy maybe. With some tweaks, I think I’d give it another go though. I definitely need to get some better peaches so maybe I will order some online! I’m going to put half the batter down next time and dust on an additional coating of cinnamon sugar before pouring in the rest of the batter. It really could’ve just been that I needed better peaches because they lacked that nice ripe sweetness a good summer peach should have. I paired this with some cinnamon ice cream one of my favorite local New England style seafood restaurants has been selling by the pint lately. I do look forward to making the bourbon cream next time!
Hi Gigi! I am glad you liked this one, but apologize it was a little much for you. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! But the cinnamon ice cream.. Sounds amazing!! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Does anyone know if would still be good if I cooked it the night before a dinner party? Thanks!
Hey Sophia,
That would be okay to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How many peaches did you use??
Hi Amy,
I used 4 peaches. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made it two days ago. I LOVED it.
Thank you Claudia!! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
I made this in a round cake pan rather than a skillet. It looked like a lot of batter and I was worried the pan would overflow but it worked out. I think it was good but the cake was very dense, but it was moist, I just wish it was peachier. Maybe I should have cut the peaches thicker. I think it maybe would have been better if there was a peach layer in the middle of the cake rather than at the bottom. I don’t think I’ll make it again, but it was a nice change from my usual peach cobbler!
I am so glad this turned out so amazing for you, Tay!! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
can I use almond flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hey Maham,
I would recommend using gluten free flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love the browned butter and using sugar to carmalize! I notice some have a hard time getting the cake to bake…remember peaches are very watery. Every time I bake with peaches, I bake them in the oven in a single layer for 20ish min at 350. I need to see steam count off of them and a slight char! This removes unwanted moisture and concentratd’s the peach flavor.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Troy!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Can i use apples instead?
Hey Ashley,
Sure apples would be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
We made this using gluten free flour and it came out really moist and really dense—not really the texture you’d expect to have for cake. It was more like a clafouti. I thought maybe this was because we used GF flour, but I see from other reviews that theirs came out this way too. My husband and I loved it. It was really really delicious. Our daughter didn’t love the texture so she didn’t really enjoy it. It is a fantastic cake, just don’t expect the texture and crumb of an actual cake. We will absolutely make it again and try different fruits! Also we didn’t use the cinnamon, just used the sugar and it was perfectly fine!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Doris! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Cake consistency was off for us. Peach was delicious but the cake was not great.
Hi Stefanie! I am really sorry to hear that! Is there anything that could have gone wrong while making this! xTieghan
The cake part came out extremely dense, and I followed the recipe exactly. So disappointing!
Hi Jenna! I am so sorry to hear that! If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know!! xTieghan
What type/brand of cast iron skillets do you prefer? Do you use different cast irons for different meals or is there one brand that you use in general.
Hey Grace,
I use all Staub cast iron skillets. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
One more comment! – I used a 9″ pie plate and baking for 60min was perfect. I left out a little bit of batter because my pie plate is shallow. Many are commenting on the cake being dense, but it is really moist so don’t be concerned! Also, I didn’t have bourbon but improvised and added a little sugar and a bit of amaretto to the whipped cream – it was fantastic.
Yes!! So happy to hear that Rachel! xTieghan
This was the best dessert I’ve ever made!! I saw you post this on Instagram and just had to make it that day. Luckily I had all the ingredients already. I’m from South Carolina – our peaches are GOOD and I’m always looking for ways to use them in the summer. I made this with my husband and mother in law and we all felt so proud with the finished product. We were blown away with the texture of the cake and how the naturally made caramel from the peaches dripped down each slice. This will be our go to dessert from now on and we are excited to try it with other fruits. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you Stephanie!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
This cake was very good. Will make again. I have yet to invest in a good skillet for baking, so used a pie plate as suggested. Worked great although it did overflow a bit (the recommendation of a deep pie plate is good!). The cake is moist and dense. The peaches and cinnamon sugar combined so well for the gooey topping, and the edges of the cake got a little crispy which I like. I did find the amount of cinnamon sugar to be excessive but that could definitely be a preference. I could see this recipe working for apples as well. A perfect way to use fresh (Ontario) peaches!
Hi Rachel! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! I hope you love it even more when you have the skillet you’re wanting! Thank you so much! xTieghan