Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake

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This bourbon peach upside down cake is the perfect combination of bourbon caramel, sweet peaches, and moist cake! The cake is sweet and fluffy, and the peaches are creamy and sweet!

This is the perfect upside down cake for a special occasion! The peaches make the most beautiful design, and the flavor is perfect for summer!

Peach upside down cake with slices cut out showing the cake texture.

Why will you love this recipe:

Upside-down cakes are perfect because they are so simple to make and are beautiful without frosting. My blood orange upside down cake is a winter favorite!

This one uses bourbon caramel to sweeten and keep the pretty peach slices in place as the cake bakes. It also ensures that your gorgeous designs stay intact while baking and during the turning out of the cake.

This recipe also keeps the peel of the peaches on; this helps them stay intact while baking.

The bourbon peach upside-down cake is a dreamy cake that combines ripe peaches, bourbon caramel, and a sweet cake to make the ultimate snack cake.

Ingredients for a bourbon peach upside down cake on a brown table.

Key ingredients:

Peaches: peaches are the highlight of this recipe! Thinly slice 4-5 peaches with the peel on and arrange the slices in a circular design starting at the center.

Sugar: sugar sweetens this cake and is creates the caramel that carmelizes and keeps the oranges in place.

Almond flour: almond flour with all-purpose flour provides the structure for the cake. Almond flour is a moist flour that provides a subtle almond flavor and helps to keep the cake moist.

Vanilla Extract: vanilla flavors the cake batter and helps complement the peaches' flavor.

Cinnamon: a bit of cinnamon is added to the peaches and to the cake to provide a bit of warmth and flavor.

A collage showing the steps to make a peach upside down cake.

How to make this recipe:

Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and butter or oil the paper.
Arrange the sliced peaches over the parchment, starting at the center and working your way out.
Make the caramel by combining ¼ cup water with ½ cup sugar. Stir to combine and then heat over medium-high heat until it turns amber.
Remove from heat, add the 1 tablespoon bourbon, and pour evenly over the peach slices.
Make the cake batter by beating the butter and ¾ cup sugar, then add in the eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.
Whisk together the flours and baking powder and then slowly beat it into the batter.
Pour the batter over the peach slices and smooth the surface.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
Let the cake cool before turning it out.

A collage showing the steps to make a peach upside down cake. The last steps.

The caramel:

There are several types of caramel that upside down cakes typically use. In this one, I use actual caramel like you would make to make caramel candy. Some recipes melt sugar and butter together, while others just use a brown sugar mixture to caramelize the fruit. I have tried all of these, and this method of making actual caramel and then pouring it over the fruit has created the best results. It is slightly harder because caramel can burn very fast, so you have to keep a close eye on the mixture and move quickly once it's ready.

peach upside down cake cut into three slices on brown sheet paper.

Tricks for a perfect bourbon peach upside-down cake:

There are a few tricks that make making this little cake really easy!

Use a cake pan, not a springform pan. If you use a springform pan, the wonderful caramel will leak out all over your oven.
Line your pan with parchment paper and then butter or oil the parchment. Caramel is very sticky, so to ensure that your beautiful fruit topping stays intact, line the pan with parchment so it can be easily removed.
Watch the caramel. Caramel is very particular, once it's on the heat, it cant be stirred, and it goes from underdone, to ready, to burnt very fast. So watch it very closely.
Test it with a toothpick or knife before taking it out of the oven. Since you are baking cake batter on top of a liquidy mixture, it can need some extra baking time.

FAQ's

What is an upside down cake?

Upside down cakes are made by lining a cake pan with a mixture of fruit like peaches, pineapple, or banana and caramel; then, the cake batter is baked on top of that mixture. Once the cake is baked, it is flipped upside down to remove the pan and display the gorgeous fruit topping.

How to store this recipe?

This recipe will keep stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.

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