Upside-Down Peach Cake
Peaches set in a ring over salted caramel, a spiced cornmeal cake poured on top, then flipped — glossy, golden, and built upside down.
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This cake gets built in reverse. Salted caramel and a ring of sliced peaches go into the pan first, the spiced cornmeal batter goes on top, and the whole thing bakes right side up before flipping over to reveal a glossy, caramelized peach top.
The cornmeal gives the crumb a little bite against the soft, jammy peaches, and the ginger and cardamom keep things warm without tipping into pumpkin-spice territory. Buttermilk and sour cream both go into the batter for tang and moisture — this cake holds up well a day or two after baking, once the caramel has had time to really set into the peaches.
Chef's notes
- Cook the caramel to a real amber. Too pale and it won't have the depth to stand up to the peaches; keep stirring so it doesn't scorch or split when the butter goes in.
- Build the ring carefully. The concentric circle of peaches is what you'll see when the cake flips — take the extra minute to arrange it neatly.
- Room temperature butter and eggs. They'll cream and emulsify more evenly, which keeps the batter from breaking as the buttermilk goes in.
- Don't skip the resting time. Let the cake cool in the pan before turning it out — flipping too early risks the caramel and peaches sliding instead of releasing clean.
- Sour cream and buttermilk both earn their spot. The sour cream adds richness and fat early in the mix, while the buttermilk's acidity keeps the crumb tender and gives the cake a little tang to balance the sweetness of the caramel and peaches.
- The cornmeal isn't just texture. It adds a slight bite and a faint corn sweetness that plays well against the soft, juicy peaches, and helps the crumb hold its structure under the weight of the caramel topping.
The recipe
For the salted caramel
- 300 g sugar
- 100 g butter, room temperature
- 100 g heavy cream
- 2 tbsp sea salt
For the peach layer
- 3-4 peaches, cored and quartered
For the cake
- 200 g sugar
- 60 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g grapeseed oil
- 113 g butter
- 2 eggs
- 60 g sour cream
- 113 g buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 180 g flour
- 80 g cornmeal
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Method
- Make the salted caramel: heat the sugar in a pot over medium heat, stirring carefully until it melts into a caramel.
- Whisk in the room temperature butter and stir constantly until fully incorporated — keep stirring continuously so the caramel doesn't split.
- Reduce heat to low and add the heavy cream in 3 parts, stirring in each addition before adding the next.
- Once incorporated, stir in the sea salt.
- Line an 8-inch pan with parchment. Pour a thin layer of the hot caramel into the base of the pan.
- Arrange the peach quarters in a concentric circle over the caramel.
- Pour the remaining salted caramel over the peaches. Set aside.
- For the cake: in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, grapeseed oil, sugar, and dark brown sugar until combined.
- Add the eggs and sour cream, mixing until incorporated.
- Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, and cardamom. Mix until just combined.
- Add the buttermilk and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the peaches and caramel and smooth the top with an offset spatula or spoon.
- Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan, then turn out onto a plate, remove the parchment, and serve.
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