These Mini Peach Upside Down Cakes are light and fluffy and are filled with pieces of fresh, juicy peaches. Each little cake is topped with peach slices for an elegant, yet easy dessert.
If you’re looking for a simple way to use up the last of your Summer peaches, this is it! I’ve made upside down peach cakes in the past, and I thought to myself, why not make mini ones using a muffin pan?! It worked like a treat (as long as your muffin pan is greased really well!) and the little cakes go so well with a scoop or two of your favourite ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
I’m very fortunate that I have a farmer’s market just steps from my office, so I’ve been buying most of my summer fruit from there. It’s a feast for the eyes taking in all the fresh produce and flowers at the market. And I love finding things that you wouldn’t normally see, like purple bell peppers and red currants. I’ve been buying up peaches in large quantities while I still can, and having them with my breakfast. I’m sure going to miss the summer fruit once it moves into Fall! So while we still have peach season, I wanted to share this recipe with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Choosing the best peaches for slicing:
Use peaches that are ripe but still slightly firm to the touch. To make the cleanest, thinest slices, your best bet is to use freestone peaches for this recipe. There are two types of peaches, freestone and clingstone. The difference is the freestone peaches don’t cling to the stone, making it a lot easier to get perfect slices. Of course, if clingstone peaches are all you can find, they will work too, but it will be more tricky to get thin slices.
How to slice a peach:
It may seem obvious, but use the sharpest knife you have, it will definitely make life easier. Starting at the stem, cut all the way around the peach. If your peaches are freestone, you can twist the two halves until they come apart. Then place each half skin-side up on the cutting board and cut into thin slices. If your peaches are clingstone, it’s best to cut wedges (3 or 4) into each half, then gently twist each wedge until it comes away from the stone. Then slice the wedges into thin slices.
A word about almond extract:
A lot of people tend to avoid using almond extract in recipes, as it’s very potent and it can easily overpower baked goods if too much is used. I added just half a teaspoon of pure almond extract to this recipe. This half teaspoon gives a warm, sweet and nutty flavour to the mini peach cakes. It’s not overpowering at all. In fact, unless you know it’s in the recipe, you can barely notice it. So, if you’re making these cakes for someone who has an aversion to almond extract, don’t tell them it’s in there! Chances are, they won’t be able to tell, and your cakes will be so much tastier with it.
Mini Peach Upside Down Cakes
Equipment
- Standard size muffin pan
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon (100g) butter, divided unsalted, softened
- 6 teaspoons brown sugar light or dark
- 3 to 4 medium peaches
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Spray a standard-size muffin pan liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide the 1 tablespoon of butter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar into each muffin cup.
- Using a sharp knife, slice 1 to 2 peaches into thin slices. Place 3 slices into each muffin cup. Cut the remaining peaches into small cubes, until you have around 1 cup. Set aside.
Make the batter:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the remaining butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
- Add egg and both the vanilla and almond extracts and beat for another 2 minutes, until fluffy and white.
- Add half of the flour mixture into the batter and beat for 1 minute. Stir in the buttermilk and beat for another minute. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cubed peaches. Divide the batter amongst the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Place the wire rack over the top of the pan and carefully flip it over and release the cakes. Cool completely or until just warm. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Wow these sound and look so delicious. So nice to have a recipe to make individual mini cakes, 🙂