Fresh Peach Coffee Cake
I said I’d be back with another peach recipe, and here I am! Finally! I was really sick for much of the past week (what is up with getting sick in the summer?!), so it’s been really hard to write this post — either because the thought of food made me nauseous, or I was so starved for food but couldn’t eat it that looking at these photos made me ravenous. I got some crazy stomach bug or really intense food poisoning, so my diet the last several days has consisted of white bread, white rice, applesauce and bananas. Delicious! As someone who only eats predominantly whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, it’s been an interesting diversion… and certainly not an experience I need to repeat anytime soon. I do take it as a good sign that I’m craving most foods again though, and I seriously cannot wait until I’m finally able to eat veggies again — especially the beautiful tomatoes hanging out waiting to be picked in my back yard!
Anyway, my summer sickness is neither here nor there, and I’d bet a pretty penny that you didn’t come here to read about it. So, let’s get right down to business, shall we? This Fresh Peach Coffee Cake is the bomb. Literally, like the bomb.com, if that was an acceptable thing to say anymore. We had some extended family visiting a few weeks ago, and invited them over for brunch, so I volunteered up a peach breakfast recipe, and this was it. You won’t be shocked to learn it’s another Ina pick! Seriously, the woman is a genius.
This coffee cake is pretty basic, at least in terms of the ingredient list and preparation, but the flavor is just out of this world. I chalk it up to the peaches, because baked peach confections are pretty much the best thing ever. I’d venture to guess that the batter is pretty forgiving too — I swapped in some spelt flour for half of the all purpose, and was really happy with the results. I imagine you could do the same with some white/wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour too. The cake comes out super tender and spongy, with just the right density. The peaches bake in nicely, so it’s not too soft or crumbly, I think it’s just right. The sugared crust on top is the perfect finishing touch. It lends a nice little crunch, and looks pretty, too.
We had devoured this entire pan by the end of the day — a few stray pieces made it all the way through brunch, but not through afternoon snack time. It’s just that good, and large hunks of it mysteriously vanish from your plate before you even realize it’s gone!
I had hoped to make one more peach recipe this season, but somehow August is over already and we’re hurdling towards fall, so it might be time to reconsider. That said, I have a strawberry recipe coming up pretty soon, and we passed strawberry season months ago — so I guess it doesn’t really matter? I do my own thang over here, in case you hadn’t noticed. Thanks, as always, for coming along for the ride!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup spelt flour (can substitute white/wheat or more all purpose)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional, I did not use them)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Then add the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.
- In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until just combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.
- Spread half of the batter evenly in your prepared pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peach slices nicely, and then sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture. If using pecans, sprinkle them over the top here as well.
- Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
