This sweet peach pound cake recipe is just peachy: moist, full of ripe peaches, and topped with a sweet cinnamon glaze. This is the best summer dessert recipe you’ll make this season.
Jump To:
Meet This Best Peach Pound Cake Recipe
There are many great summer desserts, but this peach pound cake recipe is among my very favorites. This recipe makes a moist vanilla pound cake with a tender texture, layered with ripe, juicy peaches and topped with a cinnamon glaze. The peach flavor comes through beautifully.
Best of all? You don’t even have to peel the peaches. When you need an alternative to peach pie, this is what to bake. Here are the key things you need to know:
- Easy to make: a classic creaming method cake baked in a standard loaf pan. You don’t even have to peel the peaches!
- Full of ripe, fresh peach flavor: this has the perfect amount of peaches
- The glaze puts it over the top: A sweet, vanilla-cinnamon glaze enhances the flavor of the fruit
Another best summer cake filled with seasonal fruit is this perfect Blueberry Pound Cake, bursting with fresh blueberries, my perfect Blackberry Coffee Cake, and the famous New York Times Plum Torte.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses a classic pound cake base, and is folded with ripe peaches that have been enhanced with cinnamon and sugar. Full recipe quantities and details are in the recipe, below, but as an overview, you will need:
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Sugar
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt
- Peaches: make sure they are ripe and juicy; you do not have to peel them
- Lemon
- Cinnamon
- Confectioners’ sugar
How to Make Peach Pound Cake
This peach cake recipe combines the technique of two classic desserts: peach pie, and pound cake.
- Prepare the peaches. First, slice the peaches and toss them with sugar and cinnamon. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
- Make the cake batter using a standard creaming method: butter and sugar beaten together, followed by eggs and vanilla, then the flour, baking powder, and salt. Do not overmix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. You want to keep the texture very tender.
- Layer the batter and peaches in four layers, starting with cake batter and finishing with peaches on top (cake, fruit, cake, fruit).
- Bake, cool, glaze, and serve.
A Few Pound Cake Recipe Notes
Though this is a standard pound cake recipe, there are a few tips and techniques that I adhere to, in order to make my pound cakes turn out as delicious as possible.
- Make sure to cream your room-temperature butter, sugar, eggs, and teaspoons of vanilla extract well. An under-mixed cake will not rise very well, and have uneven streaks of fat in it. The batter should be fluffy and lightened.
- Add the flour mixture and do not over-mix. Over-mixing the flour mixture into the cake will form gluten, leading to a chewy texture instead of tender, moist crumbs.
- Know when to take the cake out of the cake pan to cool. Do not take the cake out of the cake pan while it’s piping hot or it might break apart. Wait about 20 minutes (it will still be warm), then run an offset spatula or knife around the edges and turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool. You will know when the cake is finished in the oven when a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Do You Have to Peel Peaches for Pie and Cake?
I never, ever peel peaches when baking. Why? Peach skin is very thin and delicate, and will melt away when you bake it. The peach peels also lend a lovely color to the finished pound cake.
Enjoy this easy, summer peach dessert.
Why you should trust this recipe: I trained as a pastry chef at the C.I.A. and worked in professional NYC bakeries before becoming a food writer and recipe developer. I’ve made this cake with the peaches both peeled and unpeeled, so you can trust that skipping the peeling step actually works. Learn more about my background.
Love this easy peach cake recipe? You’ll also love:
Easy Peach Pound Cake
Essential Equipment
- 1 standard loaf pan
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 1 mixer fitted with paddle attachment
Ingredients
For the Peaches
- 5 to 6 firm, ripe peaches
- 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Squirt of fresh lemon juice (optional)
For the Pound Cake Batter
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks; 6 ounces), softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 cup milk or water
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Peaches
- Slice the peaches into thin slices (no need to peel them!) and place them in a mixing bowl. Toss with 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and the lemon juice. Let rest in the bowl while you make the cake batter.
Make the Pound Cake Batter
- Grease a standard loaf pan with cooking spray or butter, or line with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until very smooth and light. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is emulsified (don't forget the bottom).
- Stir in the baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix on low until combined; do not over-mix. Scrape the bowl to ensure everything is fully combined.
Bake and Glaze
- Layer half the cake batter in the bottom of the loaf pan. Scatter half of the peaches over the batter. Repeat. TIP: In other words, the layers are: batter, peaches, batter, peaches.
- Bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes, give or take, or until a cake tester comes out clean. TIP: I start checking the cake around 1 hour, and gauge from there. The total time will depend on how juicy your peaches are!Cool in the pan until the cake can be handled (about 20 to 30 minutes). Invert onto a dish, then right side up again onto a wire cooling rack. Cool fully.
- Make the Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, powdered sugar, and milk or water until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake, using a baking pan underneath to catch the drips. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
8 comments
Marie Taylor
My husband is gluten intolerant, would this recipe work with GF Bisquick? I have run out of GF flour and have peaches that are begging to be used.
Unpeeled
Hi, Marie. I don’t think that GF Bisquick would be quite right compared to a standard GF flour blend. One idea, though, would be to make the peach cobbler recipe instead, using GF Bisquick biscuits on top instead of the regular biscuits. The peach flavor is about this same, and this would be a wonderful summer dessert (and possibly even easier than the pound cake!). Here’s the recipe: https://unpeeledjournal.com/easy-peach-cobbler-recipe/
Arlene
A fantastic cake!!!! Highly recommend this recipe.
Susan
This is delicious. Think even better the second day. I used Colorado peaches, the best in my opinion.
I greased my pan and I waited for it to cool to point mentioned, but it separated. Even after completely cool it still separated. After getting creative I got separated layer out and no one would ever know my trouble plating it. When I make this again I will only use parchment to line pan so can lift it out. Thought topping was a bit to thin, Make a peach pie every year and will make this cake also..
Unpeeled
Hi, Susan! I sure wish I could get my hands on some of those Colorado peaches! I have heard such good things. I’m glad the cake tasted very good and you enjoyed it, but am sorry that it separated! I usually run an offset spatula around the edges, and take the cake out while it is still warm and not fully cooled. This helps. But definitely parchment–parchment is a baker’s best friend, in my opinion! Thanks so much for the comment and review!
S.J.
Made this a few weeks ago for Labor Day BBQ and it was a very big hit. I like how many peaches are in there!
Lisa
Hi Lisa
can this be baked in a bundtcake pan?
Thanks!
Lisa
Unpeeled
Hi! Yes, that should work! You could do the same layering of batter first, then fruit, then batter, then fruit. Happy baking!!