Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
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Whether savored as a brunch coffee cake or an after-dinner treat, this streusel-topped peach cake is simply perfect.
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.
What you’ll need to make Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
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.
Mix until evenly combined and set aside.
For the cake, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in a medium bowl.
Whisk to combine, then 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.
Beat until combined, about 20 seconds.
Add the flour mixture and milk.
Beat on low speed until evenly incorporated. (Note: the batter will be quite thick.)
Transfer the batter to a 9-inch springform 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.
Serve alone or topped with ice cream and whipped cream.
You may also like
- Blueberry Coffee Cake (aka Boy Bait)
- Summer Strawberry Cake
- Late Summer Plum Cake
- Southern Peach Cobbler
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.
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 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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Comments
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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.