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.
My friend Dana and I love taking day trips to Middleburg, VA. We visit wineries, pop into antique shops, and wander the charming streets—activities our husbands are more than happy to skip. On one trip, we found a roadside stand piled high with peaches, and I couldn’t resist bringing home more than I could possibly eat. The result was this buttery peach cake, topped with a pecan streusel and generously spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. It makes a delicious brunch cake, topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yellow peaches are best here as they stand out beautifully 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
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, melted butter, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until evenly combined, then set aside.
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients for the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set aside.
Step 3. Cream the butter and sugar. 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.
Pro Tip: If your butter isn’t quite room temperature, cut it into cubes and let it sit out for 15 minutes.
Step 4. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, about 20 seconds.
Step 5. Add the dry ingredients and milk. Beat on low speed until evenly incorporated. (The batter will be quite thick.)
Step 6. Assemble the cake. Transfer the batter to a 9-inch springform pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Step 7. Top with peaches. Arrange the peaches on top in concentric circles, pressing them partially into the batter.
Step 8. Add the streusel. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the peaches.
Step 9. Bake the cake. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center, and a cake tester comes out clean.
Step 10. Cool and serve. After removing the cake from the oven, run a knife around the edges to loosen it, then let cool for 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 desired. 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.
More Fruity Cakes You’ll Love
Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
With fresh peaches baked into a tender cake and a crisp, nutty topping, this peach cake is the perfect taste of summer.
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
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced about ⅓-inch 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. Spray a 9-inch 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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw on the countertop the night before you plan to eat it. If desired, before serving, reheat it for a few minutes in the oven until slightly warmed.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 409
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Sugar: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 188 mg
- Cholesterol: 59 mg
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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This was really good and a very pretty cake. I made it with King Arthur gluten-free flour (in the exact same amounts) and we all enjoyed it greatly (even those without gluten sensitivity said it was delicious). I did more than double the amount of sliced peaches, which I think is essential to compensate for the slightly different flavor of GF flour. Next time too, I would add the cardamom. I didn’t have any but I think it would have been a good addition–thanks Jen for another wonderful recipe!
Woke up this morning thinking that today was probably the last day I could use the last of the oodles of peaches I bought last week (for $4! 2 huge bags of seconds) and there was your recipe!!! Beyond perfect!!! Oh my..truly heaven! ( I did want to let you know though, that I had to add at least 10 minutes..) As usual, so yummy!!!! Thank you!
Can this luscious looking cake be made with GF flour? Hoping the answer is “yes”.
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried this with gluten-free flour so I can’t be sure, but I suspect it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
This cake was delicious and quick to put together. Texture and flavor were excellent but I will modify 2 things for next time:
1) I will add 1-2 more peaches because it wasn’t ‘peachy’ enough and not ever bite had peach in it.
2) I would cut down the sugar in the streusel; it was very sweet and I think it overpowered the peach flavor.
I used white whole wheat flour (that’s what I had), 2% milk, and served the cake at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. Our group of 4 enjoyed this very much.
Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. This makes a lovely summer dessert and I’m sure the peaches could be changed for other fruit depending on the season. Five stars for sure!
Do you think apples could be used instead of peaches?
Hi Hayley, I haven’t tried this with apples, but I suspect it would work. You may also want to consider my French Apple Cake (and you could use the streusel topping from this recipe if you’d like). Hope that helps!
I just tried your french Apple cake and added the pecan streusel topping. I omitted the rum but added cinnamon to the batter to compliment the topping. It was a hit. Will do it again.
Wow! This cake is amazing! I love the cardamom and cinnamon flavor of the cake with the tangy sweet peaches! I added some blackberries just because I had them and we had to substitute the pecans for oatmeal because of allergies. I had enough peaches to make this cake again in the future, so I froze them. Any suggestions on using the frozen peaches next time?
So glad you liked it, Rhonda! I do think you could use frozen peaches here with no problem. 🙂
Just made this cake for a birthday party, using Italian prune plums and light brown sugar. I have NEVER seen a cake disappear so quickly. Heavenly!
Hi Jenn, thanks for your newsletters and cookbook. The step by step instructions make cooking fun (plus knowing your recipes always turn out delicious!)
What’s the best way to peel peaches for this recipe?
My pleasure, Melissa! 🙂 For peeling peaches, it’s best if they aren’t too ripe – that way you can just use a swiss peeler. If they are soft, it’s easiest to blanch them first. Here’s a good tutorial. Hope that helps!
Just made this cake today for the first time..it is absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! And so easy to make. I love making it in the springform pan, as it looks like it came from a bakery when the side is removed..the flavor explodes in your mouth with the different spices and butter..and the pecan streusel is THE BEST..Next time will try with apples or blueberries..