No egg needed to make this summery peach upside down cake. Caramelized peaches crown a beautiful, moist cake that’s easy to make gluten-free, if needed. It’s also naturally soy-free and nut-free!
It’s peach season! Make the most of succulent summer peaches with this tender, moist peach upside-down cake.
This is a simple upside-down cake, adapted from my pear upside-down cake. I use fresh summer peaches with a touch of vegan butter and brown sugar to help them caramelize as they bake with the cake in the pan. If fresh peaches aren’t looking good where you are, you can use plums or use canned peaches, or other stone fruits in this cake.
Peach upside-down cake is absolutely delicious topped with a big scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream.
Why You’ll Love Peach Upside-Down Cake
- tender vanilla cake studded with succulent summer peaches
- peaches caramelize right in the baking pan, no need to cook them on the stove
- easily made gluten-free
- naturally soy-free and nut-free
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Make the peaches.
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Preheat the oven to 375° F (191° C).
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Peel and slice the peaches, if you haven’t already, and line an 8” or 9” cake pan with parchment at the bottom. Instead of parchment, you can flour or grease really well. Grease the edges, if you’re not using parchment on the edges.
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Melt the vegan butter and maple syrup in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Once the butter is melted, mix really well, then pour it onto the bottom of the cake pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, then arrange the peach slices on the bottom of the pan (slightly overlapping) . Set aside.
Make the cake batter.
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In a bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients really well, and then sprinkle them over the wet ingredients. Mix to make a smooth batter. It should be thinner than a muffin batter but not too runny. If it’s very runny, mix in another tablespoon or so of flour. Of it’s too thick, mix in a teaspoon or more of additional non-dairy milk.
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Spread this batter all over the peaches in the pan, and even it out with a spatula. Tap the cake pan to remove air bubbles, and bake for 28 to 35 minutes, depending on your cake pan and the oven. Check with a toothpick in the middle, and if the cake is done, remove the pan from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then put it in the fridge for 20 minutes, so that the peaches can cool and release easily from the bottom.
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Remove from the fridge, and try to flip it onto your serving plate. If it’s not coming out, then use a knife to help release the sides of the cake from the pan. The bottom will be a little sticky, so use the knife to lift the bottom parchment to free the cake. Flip the cake pan over your serving dish, and tap to release it. Then, remove the parchment, slice the cake, and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped coconut cream.
Reheat: To serve it from the freezer, just microwave it in 15 second bursts until the cake is thawed.
To make your peach upside-down cake gluten free, use a mix of 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup potato starch. Mix really well, and use this instead of the all-purpose flour. For the wet ingredients, instead of the 3/4 cup of milk, use 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup club soda.
For soy-free and/or nut-free, just make sure that your milk and yogurt are soy-free and/or nut-free.
Calories: 195kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 182mg, Potassium: 118mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 129IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- vegan butter – Helps the peaches caramelize as they bake with the cake.
- maple syrup – For the peaches.
- brown sugar – Helps the peaches caramelize even better.
- peaches – Peel and slice your fresh peaches.
- non-dairy milk – Adds moisture to the cake batter.
- non-dairy yogurt – For moisture and tang to interact with the leavening(baking powder)
- oil – Adds moisture and conditions the batter.
- sugar – For sweetness.
- vanilla extract – Flavors the batter.
- flour – Use all-purpose flour or my homemade gluten-free mix: 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup potato starch. If you’re using the gluten-free mix, replace 1/4 cup of the non-dairy milk with club soda to help the cake rise.
- baking powder, baking soda, and salt – To condition the batter.
💡 Tips
- Make sure that you line the pan with parchment paper or flour and grease it very well, so the cake will release easily.
- The batter should be thinner than muffin batter but not super thin and runny. You can thicken it with extra flour or thin with non-dairy milk to reach the right consistency.
- Cooling the cake well will help it release easily from the pan.
How to Make Peach Upside-Down Cake
Preheat the oven to 375° F (191° C).
Peel and slice the peaches, if you haven’t already, and line an 8” or 9” cake pan with parchment at the bottom. Instead of parchment, you can flour or grease it really well. Grease the edges, if you’re not using parchment on the edges.
Melt the vegan butter and maple syrup in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Once the butter is melted, mix really well, then pour it onto the bottom of the cake pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, then arrange the peach slices on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Make the cake batter.
In a bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients really well, and then sprinkle them over the wet ingredients. Mix to make a smooth batter. It should be thinner than a muffin batter but not too runny. If it’s very runny, mix in another tablespoon or so of flour. Of it’s too thick, mix in a teaspoon or more of additional non-dairy milk.
Spread this batter all over the peaches in the pan, and even it out with a spatula. Tap the cake pan to remove air bubbles, and bake for 28 to 35 minutes, depending on your cake pan and the oven. Check with a toothpick in the middle, and if the cake is done, remove the pan from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then put it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, so that the peaches release easily from the bottom.
Remove from the fridge, and try to flip it onto your serving plate. If the cake isn’t coming out, then use a knife to help release the sides of the cake from the pan. The bottom will be a little sticky, so use the knife to lift the bottom parchment to free the cake. Flip the cake pan over your serving dish, and tap to release it. Then, remove the parchment, slice the cake, and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped coconut cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make your peach upside-down cake gluten free, use a mix of 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup potato starch. Mix really well, and use this instead of the all-purpose flour. For the wet ingredients, instead of the 3/4 cup of milk, use 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup club soda.
For soy-free and/or nut-free, just make sure that your milk and yogurt are soy-free and/or nut-free.
To store, slice and store in a closed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months. To serve it from the freezer, microwave in 15 second bursts until the cake is thawed. For a slice, it usually needs 30-40 seconds
