Autumn Spiced Peach Cake
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for more information.
Let us welcome in the fall season! I am currently using up the last of the peaches that I received from my friends, and I knew that I wanted to make some sort of baked good with them that tied together the final days of summer and the beginning of autumn. We are truly at the threshold of autumn now. Isn’t it lovely? While we may still have warm days ahead, there have been a few chilly mornings and evenings over the last week and it has already put me in the mood for all things warm, cozy, and a little bit spooky!
This homemade Autumn Spiced Peach Cake is just the dessert to get you inspired for fall.
This cake is moist and soft. It has a nice buttery flavor, and it’s thick and sturdy, though I would not call it dense. It’s the perfect fall dessert idea to begin the season! The peach-flavored dessert uses spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to create a delightful autumn blend. For extra softness, I added ricotta cheese to enhance the flavor and create a super moist crumb. It’s positively delicious!
peach cake in history:
The history of peach cake is a journey through time that intertwines with the love for both baking and the natural bounty of peaches. Tracing its roots back to Europe, early recipes for fruit-based cakes were prominent during the medieval period. As peaches gained popularity in Europe during the Renaissance, they naturally found their way into cakes, adding a delightful sweetness and fragrance.
The tradition of baking peach cakes was carried across the Atlantic by European settlers to North America, where peaches thrived. In the American South, especially, peach cake became a cherished dessert, reflecting the region's agricultural abundance. It's been a favorite for family gatherings and community celebrations, often adapting to regional flavors and techniques. Today, the allure of peach cake endures, with variations ranging from rustic cobblers to elegant layered creations, capturing the essence of summer's golden fruit in every bite.
the method:
This cake is rather simple in structure. I love it for that!
To begin, you will want to grease and flour an 8-inch sprinform cake pan. This allows for each baking, and the smaller size pan creates a thick cake. This does affect the baking time, so if you would like to increase the pan size to a 9 or 10-inch springform, then you would need to slightly decrease the baking time. Your cake would not be as tall as the one pictured!
The dry ingredients are blended together and set aside. Then, the butter and sugar is creamed together until light in color and fluffy looking. You will continue by beating in the eggs, one at a time, adding the vanilla. Then, the dry ingredients and ricotta cheese are folded into the dough. It will be quite thick!
the method, continued:
Once the batter has been mixed together, it is spread into the baking dish. You will want about 3 small ripe peaches to arrange on the top of the cake. Press them into the batter and bake the cake for about one hour.
One thing that I might alter about this cake would be to sprinkle some sugar over the top of the peaches to create a syrup texture. However, it is delicious without the sugar, too!
The cake is served dusted with a healthy dose of powdered sugar. Yum!
final thoughts:
There’s nothing I like quite so much as peaches for dessert! This cake is wonderful after supper, but I enjoy it most during my afternoon coffee. I hope that you enjoy this seasonal cake recipe for your autumn baking adventures.
xoxo Kayla
Autumn Spice Peach Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (228 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
- 1 tbsp (14 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (87 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) ricotta cheese
- 3 small peaches, pit removed and sliced thinly
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (191° C). Grease an 8-inch springform pan with butter and dust it with flour. Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of the pan. Set this aside for now.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set this aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until the butter is pale yellow and fluffy, about 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes total. Then stir in the vanilla.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until all of the dry ingredients have been absorbed into the batter, about 3 minutes. Then, fold in the ricotta cheese until just combined, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Spread the batter, which will be quite thick, into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced peaches over the top of the pattern in a circular pattern. Press them into the batter gently.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake is a deep, golden brown. Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Dust the finished cake with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature. It should keep, covered, in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days.
