This is the perfect, easy summer peach cake (or nectarine cake) topped with peaches or nectarines and blueberries. Friends always want the recipe and it turns out perfect every single time. Make this nectarine cake for your family, a BBQ or just for yourself. You won't be sorry.
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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
- โค๏ธ Why you'll love this recipe
- ๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- ๐ What's the difference between peaches and nectarines?
- ๐ช Recommended Equipment
- โฐ Tips For Making Peach Cake
- ๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
- ๐๏ธ Making This Recipe at High Altitude
- ๐ฝ Serving Tips
- Lazy Summer Peach Cake with Blueberries
Summer means easy desserts, and I love to use fresh peaches. Where I live, we have a short peach season. So, while I can, I want to use sweet peaches at their peak whenever I can. I grill peaches to serve with ice cream and ginger cookies and make peach cobbler in my Instant Pot. And I make this homemade peach cake topped with peaches (or nectarines) and blueberries every chance I get.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Forgiving. This is a very easy, forgiving cake to make and is perfect for beginner bakers.
- Seasonal. It's a wonderful way to use fresh seasonal peaches and nectarines. In late summer, use fresh plums.
- Portable. This rustic cake is very portable making it a great cake to take to a potluck.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to many dishes often lies in the ingredients. For example, some ingredients make a huge difference to the flavor and/or texture of the finished recipe. And purchasing the right ingredients can save you valuable time in the kitchen.
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Fresh ripe peaches - You can also use nectarines. They should be perfectly ripe without being smooshy. If they don't have some firmness to them, they bake down into a smooshy mess on top of the cake.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the cake and makes it very tender.
- Turbinado sugar - This is raw sugar that's only partially refined and is golden brown in color. It's completely optional, but adds a nice sugar crunch when you bite into it and a hint of molasses.
🍑 What's the difference between peaches and nectarines?
Peaches and nectarines are almost identical genetically, except for one key difference. It's a difference we can all see.
Peaches have a fuzzy skin, and nectarines are smooth. That said, some people feel that nectarines are more delicious, juicy and sweeter. But I think this depends on where you live.
Depending on the recipe, nectarines can be easier to work with as they're often used without peeling them. Peaches, because their skin is thicker with texture, are often peeled.
Both nectarines and peaches are available as clingstone, freestone, and semi freestone fruit. This label identifies how easily the pit (stone) is freed from the flesh of the fruit.
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Kitchen scales
- Whisk
- Standing mixer or hand mixer
- 9" springform baking pan or other 9-inch cake pan
- Cooling rack
Note: If you use a baking dish other than a springform design, butter the sides and bottom and line the bottom with parchment paper. If you go this route, place the baking dish on top of a sheet of parchment paper and trace the dish. Cut it out slightly smaller using kitchen scissors and fit inside the baking dish.
⏰ Tips For Making Peach Cake
- Weigh the flour using kitchen scales. This nectarine cake is very tender thanks to the buttermilk, and moist from the juices of the peaches. If you add too much flour, the cake will be denser and not nearly as appealing.
- If you don't want to peel the peaches, but object to their skin, then use nectarines. You don't need to peel nectarines for this recipe.
- The butter should be room temperature for the best creaming with the sugar. That doesn't mean it's warm - it should be cool to the touch. Slice the butter into individual pats and add to the mixing bowl.
- Purchase freestone peaches if you can. This means the fruit comes off the pit very easily. Simple slice the fruit in half around the pit, and twist the halves apart. Semi-freestone means some of the fruit will stick to the pit.
- Don't use peaches or nectarines that are too soft, as they'll collapse into more of a sauce while the cake is baking. I have my best success with nectarines that are firm to the touch, yet easily press in around the stem when I gently depress it with a finger.
- Be sure to line the bottom of the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Pile the nectarines onto the batter along with any juices. It's fine if they lay a little on top of each other. As the cake rises and expands, they'll fill in the spaces. More is better in this case.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
If you're not a fan of nutmeg, play with spices that work for you. For example, increase the allspice or add cardamom.
🏔️ Making This Recipe at High Altitude
Baking at high altitude is not the same as baking at sea level. Because of the dryness in the mountains, we need to add a little more liquid to recipes. And to allow for the difference in air pressure, yeast and chemical leaveners need to be adjusted down.
That said, this is a very forgiving cake for moisture, thanks to the juices from the nectarines. Additionally the weight of the fruit on the batter keeps the cake from blowing up too much from the leaveners.
For another cake that's very successful baked at high altitudes, try this angel food cake.
🍽 Serving Tips
- Allow the cake to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing it from the springform baking pan.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Sift a little confectioners sugar on top before serving. And don't forget scoops of vanilla bean ice cream or gelato.
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Lazy Summer Peach Cake with Blueberries
Equipment
- 9-inch Springform baking pan see the Equipment Section in the post of options
- kitchen scales
- Whisk
- Standing mixer or hand mixer
- Chef's knife
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature divided
- 4 medium ripe peaches unpeeled or peeled See the Ingredients Section for details
- ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ยผ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- โ cup fresh blueberries
- 1 large egg
- ยฝ cup buttermilk
- ยพ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6.7 ounces (1 ยฝ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, also called raw sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and butter the bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of butter or less.Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom, press it on the bottom, and butter it as well. Cut a long length of parchment paper and press it around the sides of the pan. This cake has a moist crumb texture because of all the fruit and natural juices, and it can be difficult to release from the pan. The parchment paper prevents this problem.
- Cut the peaches into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl. Toss everything with nutmeg, allspice, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Using a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and large mixing bowl, cream together the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and remaining sugar on medium-high until fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes.
- Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Reduce the mixer to medium speed and add the wet ingredients to the creamed butter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk it several times to evenly disperse the chemical leaveners throughout the flour mixture. Pro-Tip: Weigh the flour for the best, most consistent result. I find that even carefully measured flour is more flour than weighed. Adding too much flour results in a denser cake.
- Shift the mixer to a low speed and add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix only until the flour is mostly incorporated, and finish mixing with a rubber spatula. The cake batter will be very thick and somewhat lumpy.Pro-Tip: Over-mixing flour into a batter causes a tougher cake.
- Scrape the cake batter into the prepared springform pan using a rubber spatula. Use the spatula to evenly spread it across the bottom of the pan. Arrange the sliced peaches onto the top of the batter, including any juices, and gently press in. Add the blueberries to fill in any empty spots and gently press in.Don't worry if the fruit is on top of each other in places. As the cake bakes, the batter will rise up and around it, and the nectarine chunks will settle across the surface and into the cake. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top, if using.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325˚F. Bake for an additional 55 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The center will be the last part to cook, so only check around that area.
- Place the baking pan on a cooling rack, and cool for 10 - 15 minutes before removing the side of the springform pan. Gently peel off the parchment paper from the sides. This is a tender cake, so you might not be able to peel off the bottom parchment paper. Just slide the cake from the base of the springform pan.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
That looks amazing! Perfect use for fresh peaches ๐
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much June!
The Ninja Baker
Oh, my what a gorgeous birthday cake for Isabel. Love the comparison to Cher and Madonna. You're right though, Isabel is a superstar =) And so are you, Susan =)
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Kim! You are the superstar, you Ninja Baker you. ๐
Liz
Oh, this cake looks heavenly, Susan! Peaches are my favorite summer fruit and your dessert would rock my world! Perfect for a birthday celebration.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Liz!
Dorothy ShockinglyDelicious
All righty, that has MY name on it even though you made it for Isabel. I'm all over it!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Dorothy!!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Susan, your cake and photos are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!! I'm not a fan of surprises either - anytime someone tells me they have a surprise for me, it drives me insane not knowing what it is! But a surprise birthday party is always a good thing, especially when we're celebrating our beloved Isabel.
DB, Foodie Stuntman | Crazy Foodie Stunts
Fresh fruit desserts are always a good treat, birthday or not!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
I love, love, love peaches! A great idea for Isabel's party!
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily
Who doesn't love peaches?? I know I do! I don't bake often but I will have to make this cake soon, very very soon!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm
Your post made me smile. 40 yrs ago, okay 45 yrs ago when I made my first peach pie I didn't peel the peaches. It didn't occur to me. You don't peel peaches when you eat them LOL
Bobbi from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Oh Susan! This cake is not only gorgeous, it sounds AH-MAZING!!
cheri
Hi Susan, you did it again this is the perfect summer cake, looks so delicious!!!!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness
Love all of the fruit in here! I have yet to buy peaches, but to make this cake.. I think I might need to. Love this!
lucie
What an absolutely beautiful cake! If somebody make this cake for me for my birthday id be absolutely DELIGHTED! Happy birthday Isabel!
Laura Dembowski
This cake sounds perfect! I love anything with lots of peaches. I'm not a big fan of surprises, but I'm with you that a virtual surprise party sounds great!
Renee
That cake is simply heavenly. I have to make it. It looks divine.
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
This cake reminds me of a blueberry cake my Grandma used to make! I bet the combo of peaches and blueberries would be amazing!
Catherine
What a beautiful summer cake....It sounds delightful. xo, Catherine
TerriSue
Oh Susan, Is this cake ever so good. Made it tonight for my husbands last day of vacation. We were horrible and had it for dinner! Some days are just like that in the summer. I did two things different, I peeled my peaches, (can't stand peach skin), and I used raspberries for the blueberries as I had just picked some up at Costco and they looked so pretty. Worked out just fine. So much easier than a peach pie which is what I generally do with peaches. This goes together so fast! The thing that took the longest was peeling the peaches. This will now be a regular in my Summer dessert rotation. Thank you for finally posting it.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so excited that you made it, TerriSue!! And so, so happy that you and your husband loved it so much. I can totally, completely understand how you had it for dinner, LOL!! I agree, the peeling process takes awhile. Another option is to use nectarines. Nectarines are essentially peaches that have been altered for the skin. If you don't mind nectarine skin, then you don't have to peel them. Thanks so much for letting me know!! You've made my evening ๐
Connie
Finally some who actually made the cake. I always scroll through the comments, reviews to see how it came out and if someone did something ba little different or tweaked somehow. Of for tips.
Most of all the reviews just say how it looks good.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I totally understand. This was a cake I originally made for a virtual birthday party with a bunch of fellow bloggers for a mutual friend. It's common practice to go on each other's posts and comment. If it helps, in the recipe card, in the description, I have a link to the recipe I modeled it from which has a ton of comments by people who've made it.
TerriSue
I had nectarines. I guess I'm old school. I remember when they came around. My mother always baked with peaches, and we ate nectarines out of hand. I've been doing it the same way also for forty years. The taste is similar but I still prefer a peach when baking. I used to go to the trouble of boiling water to dip the peach in and then slip the skin off. In the summer that is hot and the fuzz on the peach seems to cling all over you. Then two years ago I found a soft skin peeler that looks like a regular potato peeler but has serrated edges. You can slice a peach in half and then peel the skin off quite quickly. It works for any fruit with a soft skin. It's funny because I never use a potato peeler as I can peel a potato quicker with a knife, but not a peach.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'll have to check out that peeler! I really appreciate the tip. I've seen them, but didn't realize they could be used to peel stone fruit so well! Thanks so much ๐
Laura
Sure I should make this myself, but honestly, at the moment, I'd prefer just to pull up a chair to your kitchen table and have a piece with you, sipping an iced tea. Oh, and we can toast Isabel, who is a true visionary.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
This looks AMAZING! What a delicious cake...I could definitely go for a slice of this right now!
Ellen
Help, I'm in the middle of baking, and can't find WHEN to add the allspice!
Maria
Can you use frozen peaches?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I haven't made it with frozen. My biggest concern would be how much addition liquid they might add to the cake. I'd thaw and drain them of excess liquid first. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it went!
Kathryn
I had some nectarines no-one was eating and came across your recipe in my search for baking them into a dessert. A really tasty cake (I stopped myself at 2 pieces in one sitting). Thank you for your recipe!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yay!! I'm so happy you liked it so much - and thanks for letting me know. I make it every summer!
Mandy
So pretty and yummy! I used 3 large peaches with blueberries and thought it looked like too much so scooped some off (in hindsight I could have left them as when I pulled it out of the oven the batter rose around the peaches). Followed recipe otherwise. Took to a family bbq and it did not disappoint! Would also be yummy alone with coffee for brunch.
Susan Pridmore
I can attest that this cake is delicious as a brunch item too. And I've enjoyed it with my morning coffee. I'm so happy you liked it. And yes the peaches really crowd in on the top but end up as the batter will rise up around them.