Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

Whether savored as a brunch coffee cake or an after-dinner treat, this streusel-topped peach cake is simply perfect.

Slice of peach cake on a plate with peaches.

Every July, my friend Dana and I take a scenic day trip to Middleburg, VA. It’s our annual summertime ritual. We hop from one winery to the next, hunt for hidden treasures in antique shops, and leisurely wander the charming streets—activities our husbands don’t generally love to do. On one of these outings, we stumbled upon a quaint roadside stand, overflowing with bushels of luscious peaches in every imaginable variety. I couldn’t resist buying way too many, which eventually led to the creation of this fantastic peach cake. It’s generously topped with a golden, crunchy streusel and comfortingly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. It makes a lovely coffee cake for brunch, but it’s equally wonderful when enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream after dinner. I recommend using yellow peaches if possible, as they stand out beautifully in the cake, while white peaches won’t show up as well.

Collage of scenes from Middleburg, Virginia.

What you’ll need to make Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel

Cake ingredients including baking powder, milk, and sugar.

How To Make Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel

Begin with the topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, melted butter, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.

Bowl of unmixed streusel topping ingredients.

Mix until evenly combined and set aside.

Spoon in a bowl of streusel topping.

For the cake, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in a medium bowl.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk to combine, then set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

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.

Bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla.

Vanilla and eggs in a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Beat until combined, about 20 seconds.

Electric mixer beating a bowl of butter mixture.

Add the flour mixture and milk.

Dry ingredients, milk, and butter mixture in a bowl.

Beat on low speed until evenly incorporated. (Note: the batter will be quite thick.)

Bowl of cake batter.

Transfer the batter to a 9-inch springform pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Person spreading cake batter in a springform pan.

Arrange the peaches on top in concentric circles, pressing them partially into the batter.

Layer of peach slices over cake batter in a springform pan.

Using a spoon and/or your fingers, sprinkle the clumpy streusel topping over the peaches.

Streusel topping over peaches in a springform pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center, and a cake tester comes out clean.

Peach cake with pecan streusel in a springform pan.

Serve alone or topped with ice cream and whipped cream.

Slice of peach cake on a plate with peaches.

You may also like

Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel

Whether savored as a brunch coffee cake or an after-dinner treat, this streusel-topped peach cake is simply perfect.

Servings: 8-10
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes, plus cooling time

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.)
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set aside.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. 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 vanilla ice cream, if desired.
  7. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • The recipe says it serves 5-10. Regarding the nutrition information, is 1 slice calculated as 1/5 of the cake or 1/10?

    BTW, I’ve learned you can make peach pie filling (with fruit and dry ingredients mixed) and freeze it up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before using. Peach pie at Thanksgiving is a treat!

    • Oops that was a typo, Diana – sorry! The cake serves 8-10, and the nutritional data is calculated on 10 slices.

  • This is fantastic Jen! Just happened to have several leftover peaches in the fridge and it turned out great. I replaced pecan with walnuts (as pecan is quite rare here in Tunisia) and cut the sugar to 2/3 cup, which was enough even though I have quite a sweet tooth! Made for an awesome breakfast cake. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes… you have been my go-to-cook website for over a year now!

    • — Marine Olivesi
    • Reply
  • How will this work if the peaches are not yet fully ripe? We love your strawberry cake and have done it several times!

    Helen Phillips
    Southport CT

    • — Helen Phillips
    • Reply
    • Hi Helen, Perfectly ripe peaches are best, but it’ll still work so long as they are almost ripe.

  • I replaced the peaches with fresh mango. Very, very good. We enjoyed it. Thanks!

    • — Elly from the Netherlands
    • Reply
  • Could I use a pie plate? I don’t have a springform 🙁

    • Hi Amy, Yes just make sure it’s a deep dish pie pan (and reduce the heat by 25° if using glass).

  • I don’t have a 9″ spring release pan. What type of pan could I substitute for this?

    • Hi Vikki, You could use a deep dish pie pan or a 9-inch square baking dish; you’d just have to serve it directly from the pan (reduce the heat by 25°F though if using glass).

  • If one is not a peach lover, is there any reason you could not substitute apples, plums, strawberries, or pineapple?

    • Hi Mark, I’ve tried it with plums and strawberries — both delish! But for what it’s worth, my husband is not a peach lover and he adores this cake (I first made it with white peaches and he thought they were apples ?).

  • This recipe looks amazing. I know next to nothing about cows but the one in your photo looks far too skinny! I hope it is okay.

    • He was a baby 🙂

  • Do you need.to peel your peaches?

    • Yes, they should definitely be peeled.

  • Hi Jen,
    I’m not a baker but would love to take a swing at your recipe. What adjustments should I make for baking @ 5,000′ elevation? Thanks so much. I have had phenomenal success with your recipes and look forward to many more!

    • Hi Linda, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. I wish I could be more helpful but I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking. I always refer people to this resource on the King Arthur website. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.