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Decadent Brown Butter Peach Upside-Down Cake with Caramel Drizzle

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A quick and easy upside-down cake featuring ripe peaches, nutty brown butter, and a luscious caramel drizzle, perfect for summer gatherings and last-minute desserts.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4–5 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (for brown butter peach topping)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar (for brown butter peach topping)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (for brown butter peach topping)
  • Pinch of salt (for brown butter peach topping)
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (or almond flour for gluten-free option)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for cake batter)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (for cake batter)
  • ½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup milk plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar (for caramel drizzle)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for caramel drizzle)
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream (for caramel drizzle)
  • Pinch of salt (for caramel drizzle)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Brown Butter Peach Topping: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Swirl the pan gently as the butter foams and then begins to brown, releasing a nutty aroma (about 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  2. Pour the brown butter mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 9-inch cake pan or cast iron skillet.
  3. Arrange the peeled and sliced peaches neatly over the brown butter sugar mixture, overlapping slightly in concentric circles.
  4. Mix the Cake Batter: In a bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  5. In a separate large bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar together until fluffy and pale (3-4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  6. Alternately add the flour mixture and ½ cup buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix gently until just combined.
  7. Pour the batter evenly over the peach layer in the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then invert onto a serving plate. Gently pry peaches with a spatula if they stick.
  10. Make the Caramel Drizzle: In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add ½ cup brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Slowly add 3 tablespoons heavy cream and a pinch of salt, stirring until smooth and slightly thickened (about 3 minutes).
  11. Drizzle the caramel generously over the warm cake and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

If peaches are not in season, use thawed frozen peach slices or nectarines. For dairy-free, substitute butter with coconut oil and heavy cream with coconut cream. Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cake tender. Tent cake with foil if browning too fast. Warm caramel drizzle if it thickens before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, peach upside-down cake, caramel drizzle, summer dessert, quick cake, easy peach cake, gluten-free option, dairy-free option

Find it online: https://freshforkful.com/decadent-brown-butter-peach-upside-down-cake-recipe-easy-caramel-drizzle/