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Peach Upside Down Cake

This caramelized-peach upside down cake with hints of smokey maple syrup will be the highlight of your summer. Freshly baked and with a sweet vanilla aroma, it’ll be your go-to dessert from now on.

Peach upside down cake with a caramelized peach topping.

Why You’ll Love This Peach Dessert

This rich, gluten-free peach upside down cake will be your new favorite dessert for summer gatherings.

  • No processed sugars. Smokey maple syrup and caramelized coconut sugar eliminate the need for processed, granulated sugar.
  • Gluten-free. Using almond, tapioca, and coconut flour for the batter means more people can enjoy this peach cake.
  • Great for summer. This cake recipe is an easy way to leftover peaches from your summer harvest.
  • Freezer-friendly. Make it in advance and pop it out whenever you need a quick dessert.
A slice of tender peach upside down cake.

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe uses coconut sugar and a blend of gluten-free flours to enhance the natural sweetness of the peaches. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

For the Topping

  • Butter – I prefer unsalted butter.
  • Coconut sugar – Feel free to use light or dark brown sugar.
  • Peaches – They can be fresh or frozen (thawed), but they need to be peeled.

For the Cake

  • Almond flour – Sieve it if it has any large lumps.
  • Tapioca flour – You can also use rice flour.
  • Coconut flour – Don’t swap it for more almond flour.
  • Baking powder – Make sure it hasn’t expired, otherwise the cake will be dense and rubbery.
  • Salt – Kosher salt is best.
  • Butter – Skip the salt in the cake if you use salted butter.
  • Maple syrup – Agave nectar and raw honey work too.
  • Egg – Liquid eggs are a good swap.
  • Vanilla extract – Almond extract is great as well.
  • Almond milk – Feel free to use oat milk or even dairy milk.

Can I Use Canned Peaches?

Absolutely! Make sure they’re drained and rinsed before adding them in so that the syrup doesn’t add extra sweetness to the batter.

A whole peach upside down cake on a white cake stand.

Tips & Variations

This tender peach upside down cake is great for all sorts of gatherings when you turn it into muffins.

  • Use add-ins. Stir 1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts, cranberries, or shredded coconut into the batter for more texture.
  • Stay in the middle. Don’t bake on the bottom or top oven racks. Stay in the center rack to prevent burning or an under-baked center.
  • Make muffins. Add peaches to each cavity in a muffin tray. Pour batter on top as usual. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Spice it up. Whisk 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg into the dry ingredients for more depth, fragrance, and sweetness.
  • Add protein. Mix 1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder into the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup extra almond milk into the batter for a heartier, protein-packed cake.

Proper Storage

I love keeping one in the freezer for last-minute gatherings.

  • Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep it away from strong-smelling foods like onions and chilis.
  • Freezer: Wrap it in plastic wrap twice. Transfer it to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 1 hour.

More Peach Desserts To Try

Peach upside down cake with a caramelized peach topping.

Peach Upside Down Cake

5 from 2 votes
This buttery peach upside down cake recipe with a fluffy vanilla crumb and caramelized peach topping is an easy summer dessert. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients


Topping:

  • Peach upside down cake
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 1/2- 2 cups sliced peaches


Cake:

  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup almond milk

Instructions

Topping:

  • Preheat oven to 325°
  • Line a 9” round baking pan with parchment paper, spray sides of pan with organic cooking spray
  • Place 1/4 cup butter in bottom of pan and place in oven for 5 minutes or until butter is melted. (Be sure to watch carefully to avoid browning the butter).
  • Remove pan from oven and sprinkle coconut sugar over butter, spreading evenly. You can use back of spoon to smooth out into an even layer. {does not have to be perfectly spread}
  • Arrange peach slices evenly over brown sugar mixture in a spiral pattern trying to cover the bottom evenly.

Cake:

  • In a medium bowl combine the flours, baking powder and salt by stirring and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl add butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla and coconut milk. Whisk to combine evenly.
  • Gently pour butter mix into flour mix, stirring with a fork until batter forms.
  • Carefully pour batter evenly over the peaches in the pan.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan on wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of cake against pan to loosen cake.
  • Invert onto a cake platter.
  • Cool completely, slices and serve.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Categories:

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14 comments on “Peach Upside Down Cake”

  1. 5 stars
    This may be the best (healthy) cake EVER!! My GOD it’s good!! I made it 3 times last summer and already make it once this summer. I (regretfully) took two pieces to my friends when I made the first one and it became their favorite cake too. I had to make a second one the day after that, my husband was so sad that I gave 1/2 of the cake away. I’m making it for a party this weekend and know it will be loved! Who am I kidding, I’ll make two cakes this weekend….one for the party and one for my husband and me 😁. I made one change, which is that I used full-fat coconut milk (from a can) instead of the almond milk. I don’t remember why I did that last year, but I know it was a slam-dunk. Thank you so much for this forever addition to our lives!

  2. I made this today and it is so delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I did change things up just a bit: I tossed the peach slices with the 1/4 cup butter (melted), the coconut sugar (which I reduced to 1/4 cup) and some ground cinnamon before arranging them at the bottom of the buttered pan. I also used a bit more milk (I used coconut — by the way, in your recipe above it said “almond milk” but in the directions “coconut milk”) and a bit less maple syrup.
    I strongly suspect I will make this again very soon. I love peaches too — and nutritious cakes! 🙂

  3. Avatar photo
    Felicity West

    5 stars
    This cake is amazing and my husband said its the best sugar free one I’ve made 🙂 I’m always looking for wholesome cakes so we can have treats from time to time. I swapped out the maple syrup and coconut sugar for our preferred sweeten of rice malt syrup and it was delicious 🙂 Thank you!

    1. Thank you so much for letting me know Felicity! I always love coming up with gluten free and sugar free cake and cupcake recipes, so your feedback is awesome. Working on a new batch of gluten free and sugar free muffins this week, so keep your eye open. 🙂

  4. I made this for my uncle’s birthday. He is not much of a dessert eater but he had two big pieces! My whole family wants me to make this again. I added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the topping. Scrumptious!

    1. Thank you so much for letting me know Christine. I am thrilled that your uncle and family liked the cake. I bet the cinnamon added great flavor!

  5. Avatar photo
    Shashi at RunninSrilankan

    I adore peaches – and thankfully we have tons of them here in Georgia! But, I’ve never attempted a GF upside down peach cake before – this looks ah-mazing!

    1. Thanks Shashai, so jealous of your Georgia peaches. We were driving through once and we grabbed some on the roadside stand, by far the best peaches I have ever eaten. You definitely should be called the Peach state!

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