Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
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Juicy peaches, warm spices, and a crisp pecan topping come together in this easy peach cake—the kind of treat that makes summer feel special.
This buttery peach cake is one of my favorite ways to make the most of sweet summer peaches. The cake is tender and warmly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, with juicy peaches nestled into the batter and a crunchy pecan streusel to top it off.
The recipe was inspired by a summer tradition with my friend Dana: every July, we take a day trip to Middleburg, Virginia, for wine tastings, antique shopping, and wandering the charming streets (all things our husbands are more than happy to skip!). One year, we passed a roadside stand piled high with fresh peaches, and of course I came home with far more than we could eat. This cake was the delicious result.
It’s lovely for brunch or dessert, especially with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yellow peaches work best here—they hold their shape as they bake and look beautiful on top of the cake.
“Absolutely delicious. This is definitely an ‘impress your friends’ kind of recipe.”
What you’ll need to make Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
You’ll need all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, unsalted butter, granulated and dark brown sugar, pecans, an egg, vanilla extract, milk, and yellow peaches.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the streusel topping. Combine the flour, melted butter, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt and mix well.
Mix the dry ingredients for the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set aside.
Combine the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, about 20 seconds.
Pro Tip: If your butter isn’t quite room temperature, cut it into cubes and let it sit out for 15 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients and milk: Beat on low speed until evenly incorporated. (The batter will be quite thick.)
Assemble the cake: Transfer the batter to a springform pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Arrange the peaches on top in concentric circles, pressing them partially into the batter.
Pro Tip: If you’re using very juicy peaches, pat the slices dry with a paper towel before arranging them on the batter to prevent excess moisture from making the cake soggy.
Add the streusel: Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the peaches.
Bake the cake: Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center, and a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool and serve: Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake, then let cool for about 20 minutes. Remove the springform side and cool completely on a rack. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream, if you like. The cake can be made up to 1 day ahead or frozen for longer storange.
Pro Tip: Letting the cake cool at least 20 minutes before removing the springform side keeps the structure intact—peaches and streusel are heavy toppings, and removing the side too soon can cause the edges to slump.
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Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 6 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
For the Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ lb peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced about ⅓-in (8-mm) thick (you'll need 3 to 4 peaches)
Instructions
- Make the Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, melted butter, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. (The mixture will be wet.) Set aside.
- Make the Cake: Set a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9-in (23-cm) springform pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour such as Baker's Joy or Pam Baking Spray with Flour. (Alternatively, grease the pan with butter and dust lightly with flour.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the flour mixture and milk, and beat on low speed until evenly incorporated. (Note: the batter will be quite thick.)
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Arrange the peaches on top in concentric circles, pressing them partially into the batter. Using a spoon and/or your fingers, sprinkle the clumpy streusel topping over the peaches. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center, and a cake tester comes out clean.
- Right after removing the cake from the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. Let cool for about 20 minutes, then remove the springform edge, leaving the base in place. Let the cake cool on a rack. Slice and serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Such a pretty cake. Used up the last of my case of peaches after canning 16 pints and freezing 3 pies (or cakes?) worth. Can’t wait for my reward once this cools enough. Not seeing how to add a photo or I surely would! Love your recipes.
Just like every other recipe of yours I’ve tried, this one is great too. I put figs on top instead of the peaches because I have so many figs from my tree this year. The nutmeg and cardamom complimented the figs nicely. I have to admit that it looked and smelled so good that we cut a little piece to taste before dinner. Delicious! I don’t know what I did before I found your blog, and now your book. Thank you for doing whAt you do!
Can this be made with apples?
Also, is the cooking time different?
Thanks – love all your recipes.
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried this with apples, but I think it would work. You may also want to take a peek at my French Apple Cake (and you could use the streusel topping from this recipe, if you’d like).
Could I bake this in a similarly sized cast iron pan? And should I change the timing/temperature at all if I do? Thanks! It looks fantastic.
Hi Sandy, I think that would work – cook time and temp should be about the same if the pan is about the same size as the cake pan. I’d just keep an eye on it. Please lmk how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
I sliced and froze peaches we picked a few weeks back. Can I use them in this recipe? I love all your recipes, and look forward to your cookbook. Thanks, Pat
Thanks, Pat! I do think the frozen peaches will work beautifully. Enjoy!
I absolutely loved this cake! And so did everyone that came over and tried it. Can’t wait to try it with plums.
A very nice fall tasting cake!
Wonderful! I did not have fresh peaches so I substituted canned pears, drained. The pear taste was not dominate but was discernable. I followed everything else exactly as written. The cake had a delight taste and texture. My family loved it.
This peach dessert was delicious and was the perfect ending to to our fresh peach season here in the south. The pecan topping was “icing on the cake”. I especially enjoy your step by step instructions. They have encouraged me to try many of your recipes.
Hi Jenn. I live in the Philippines and we don’t have fresh peaches here. Can I use canned peaches instead?
Hi Gayle, I haven’t tried this with canned peaches, but another reader said he did and was happy with the results. Hope you enjoy!
Looking for a peach cake with a dense coffee cake texture.. would this work?
I wouldn’t say this is a dense cake, Ina – but it makes a great coffee cake.