I saw this peach bourbon upside down cake recipe last year in Southern living. I was dying to try it but never seemed to get around to it. So this year, as soon as fresh peaches were at the market, it was the first thing I had to bake!!
Well, let me tell you, this recipe does not disappoint! It is absolutely LUSCIOUS!!!
Let’s start with the peaches. They happen to be my favorite summer fruit and quite frankly, I can’t get enough of them. They’re absolutely delish in this recipe and the fact that they’re used in an upside-down cake recipe just screams fun to me. I mean who doesn’t love an upside-down cake!!!
The cake itself is really a pound cake. I truly can’t tell you how much I adore homemade old fashioned pound cake. I think a lot of times this homey, classic dessert is overlooked for its flashier cousins, the layer cake!
But this peach bourbon upside down cake recipe has been popular for many reasons. It’s a tender crumb, super buttery, and wonderfully sweet! It’s always a home run!
I personally love the bourbon in this cake. It doesn’t end up tasting boozy at all, it just adds a rich flavor to the cake. Of course, all of the alcohol is baked out, so it’s totally appropriate to serve to children. If you just don’t want to use it, no worries. Check out what to substitute in the recipe notes below.
Try more of my favorite peach recipes next.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Cake:
- butter
- brown sugar
- peaches
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- bourbon
Glaze:
- bourbon
- vanilla
- milk
- confectioners sugar
How to Make Peach Bourbon Upside Down Cake
- Prep. Dissolve sugar and butter in a pan.
- Transfer the mixture to the bundt pan.
- Peaches. Arrange the peaches on top of the brown sugar mixture.
- Flour. Whisk flour and salt.
- Dough. Beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and bourbon, adding the flour mixture in a stand-up mixer.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the bundt pan. Bake. Allow it to cool.
- Invert the cake.
- Glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and bourbon.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
- Enjoy!
See complete instructions below.
Recipe Notes + Tips
- How to Peel Peaches: I use peeled peaches in this peach-bourbon upside down cake recipe. If you leave the skins on, they will likely come loose and then you get a bit with a weird texture cause it’s all skin. I get the best results when I peel my peaches before using them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-
- Using a paring knife, make an X on the bottom of the peach through the skin.
- Ease the peaches into the boiling water (not all at once because you don’t want the water temperature to drop too low) for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Plunge peaches into a bowl filled with ice and water.
- Using the tip of the paring knife, grab the edge of the skin at the X and peel.
- Why are eggs best at room temp when baking: In this recipe, I specify room temperature eggs. The main reason I do so is that room temp eggs gain a lot more volume when beaten. This helps to create a wonderful texture in this cake. If you use cold eggs instead, your cake will be flatter and denser.
- Best way to measure flour: Flour settles during storage, so I always whisk it in its container before I measure it out. Then use a large spoon to scoop it out from the container and add to a measuring cup filling it to overflowing. Level it off with a straight-edge spatula directly back into the container.
- Pan size: This recipe calls for a 15-cup bundt pan. The classic bundt cake pan is generally a 10 or 12-cup pan. This will overflow in a 12-cup pan.
- A 15 cup bundt pan measures 12 x 10.5 x 5 inches. A 12-cup bundt pan measures 10.5 x 11.7 x 3.5 inches so just check to make sure you’ve got the right size pan.
- You can always use a 12-cup bundt if that’s the largest one you have, you’ll just end up with extra batter. Only fill a 12-cup bundt pan 3/4 full to avoid overflowing. To be on the safe side, place the bundt on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any accidental overflow.
- Alcohol-Free: Yes, you can absolutely make this cake without the Bourbon. Just omit it from the recipe and add an extra 1-2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to make it a simple peach upside down cake.
Storage + Freezing
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This recipe can be stored at room temperate. Refrigeration extends the shelf life of your cake, but as with all butter cakes, it is best served at room temperature. It will last up to 2 days at room temperature and 1 week in the fridge. However, you store it, be sure to wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap to seal out all the air and keep your cake nice and moist.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! Even a traditional pound cake recipe is great in the freezer (just like those ones you can buy in the freezer section at the grocery store!). Wrap it up well, and your peach bourbon upside down cake recipe will store for up to six months.
More Peach Dessert Recipes
- Peaches And Cream Pie
- Peach Dump Cake
- Peach Crisp
- Peach Blueberry Crisp
- Roasted Peach Halves with Crumb Topping
- Peach Bread
- Peach Heaven On Earth Cake
- Peach Crumb Bars
Peach Bourbon Upside Down Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups butter softened and divided
- 2 cups brown sugar firmly packed and divided
- 4 peaches peeled and cut into 4 pieces
- 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese softened 1
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup, plus 1 teaspoon bourbon
Glaze:
- 1 teaspoon bourbon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Prep. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven 325°F. Spray a 15-cup bundt pan (not a 12-cup!!) heavily with nonstick cooking spray.
- Peaches. In a small pan, over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup butter. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved about 1 minute. Transfer mixture even to the prepared bundt pan. Arrange peach pieces in a single layer on top of the brown sugar mixture.
- Flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour (3 cups) and salt (1/2 teaspoon).
- Dough. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, beat the remaining 1 1/2 of butter for 2 minutes, on medium speed, or until it is light and fluffy. Scrape down sides, then add cream cheese and continue to beat, on medium, for 1 minute. Scrape down sides, then gradually add granulated sugar and remaining 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down sides and add eggs (6 large), 1 at a time, beating just until yolk disappears. Beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Scrape down sides and add to butter mixture alternately with 1/4 cup bourbon, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Bake. Pour evenly into the bundt pan. Tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Place bundt pan on a large rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet size) to catch any spills. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow it to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 25 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Glaze. In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar (1 cup), vanilla (1/2 teaspoon), 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon bourbon. Add more milk as needed to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- How to Peel Peaches: I use peeled peaches in this peach-bourbon upside down cake recipe. If you leave the skins on, they will likely come loose and then you get a bit with a weird texture cause it’s all skin. I get the best results when I peel my peaches before using them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-
- Using a paring knife, make an X on the bottom of the peach through the skin.
- Ease the peaches into the boiling water (not all at once because you don’t want the water temperature to drop too low) for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Plunge peaches into a bowl filled with ice and water.
- Using the tip of the paring knife, grab the edge of the skin at the X and peel.
- Why are eggs best at room temp when baking: In this recipe, I specify room temperature eggs. The main reason I do so is that room temp eggs gain a lot more volume when beaten. This helps to create a wonderful texture in this cake. If you use cold eggs instead, your cake will be flatter and denser.
- Best way to measure flour: Flour settles during storage, so I always whisk it in its container before I measure it out. Then use a large spoon to scoop it out from the container and add to a measuring cup filling it to overflowing. Level it off with a straight-edge spatula directly back into the container.
- Pan size: This recipe calls for a 15-cup bundt pan. The classic bundt cake pan is generally a 10 or 12-cup pan. This will overflow in a 12-cup pan.
- A 15 cup bundt pan measures 12 x 10.5 x 5 inches. A 12-cup bundt pan measures 10.5 x 11.7 x 3.5 inches so just check to make sure you’ve got the right size pan.
- You can always use a 12-cup bundt if that’s the largest one you have, you’ll just end up with extra batter. Only fill a 12-cup bundt pan 3/4 full to avoid overflowing. To be on the safe side, place the bundt on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any accidental overflow.
- Alcohol-Free: Yes, you can absolutely make this cake without the Bourbon. Just omit it from the recipe and add an extra 1-2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to make it a simple peach upside down cake.
Nutrition
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Source: Southern Living
Could this be baked in a different type of pan? I don’t have a bundt pan, but this looks delicious!
Hi, Ciera. I haven’t tried that. But here’s an article for pan conversion. I hope this helps!
My husband loved this! Thank you for the step by step video, it really helped me!
Wow, thank you, Jera! I appreciate your feedback. I’m glad you and your husband loved this 🙂
So yummy!!! I had “too many” peaches (is that even possible???!) and I’ve had my eye on this cake recipe for awhile. We did not have bourbon, so I subbed amaretto for it. This is fantastic. Thank you!
Hi, Jen! Wow, fresh peaches are the best, right? Thank you for so much for sharing your version and feedback 🙂
Thank you for this amazing looking recipe! I was just wondering: if I omit the 1/4 cup of bourbon, shouldn’t I be adding some extra liquid beyond the teaspoon of vanilla in order to compensate for the bourbon? Won’t it be dry otherwise? Thanks for any guidance!
Hi Stephanie, I would try adding milk instead. 🙂