Peach Coffee Cake Recipe (easy!)
Posted: 09/06/2012
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Homemade peach coffee cake, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Make it with fresh, canned, or frozen peaches.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This is an easy coffee cake recipe that you can use for any kind of fruit you have.
How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 40 minutes in the oven.
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, measuring utensils, electric mixer, cake pan, oven
Servings: x
Table of Contents
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I know I’m squeeeeeeaking this recipe in at the end of peach season, but it is a must-try! You could make this peach coffee cake with canned or frozen peaches but fresh are always just a little bit better. One advantage of using canned or frozen peaches, though, is that you don’t have to peel them first.
How do you all peel peaches? I use what I feel is the quickest method, although it does get some dishes dirty. Here’s a nice tutorial which shows the method I use. I leave the peaches in the boiling water slightly longer though, probably 1-2 minutes.
This is going to sound weird, but the smell of blanched peaches reminds me of my childhood. My mom always did a lot of canning and we peeled a lot of peaches this way. It has a really distinctive smell that brings back some wonderful memories.
About this peach coffee cake
You’ll love this peach coffee cake. The recipe is loosely adapted from Betty Crocker. It makes a 9×13 pan and isn’t hard to put together. You can substitute other fruit if you like. Blueberries are a favorite.
Peach coffee cake is easy to make. Once the peaches are peeled and chopped, the cake will take no time at all.
Look for the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
What You’ll Need
- Peaches: Fresh, frozen, canned … doesn’t matter.
- All-Purpose Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt: Everyday items that I’m sure you already have in your pantry.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Warm spices that complement the peaches (and your coffee).
- Egg, Butter, Milk: Make sure the butter is softened (room temperature) before you begin making the cake. Take it out of the fridge an hour or two ahead of time.
- Turbinado Sugar: The cake is topped with this coarse sugar. It takes the place of frosting or streusel and is totally optional. If you can’t find turbinado sugar, use sanding sugar.
How To Make This Cake
Toss the peaches with a couple tablespoons of the flour before you mix the rest of the ingredients. That will help to keep the peaches from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. That’s right, everything but the fruit is mixed all at once: butter, sugar, egg, milk, flour, etc. This cake is super easy, almost as easy as a cake mix but a whole lot better tasting!
Using an electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes. Pour half the batter into the cake pan, distribute half of the peaches on the batter evenly, pour the remaining batter on top, then the rest of the peaches. Four layers: batter, peaches, batter, peaches.
Oops, almost forgot! Five layers! I like to sprinkle turbinado sugar on top before I bake the coffee cake for a nice crunchy top. That’s optional, though.
Peach coffee cake is best served warm. Try it with ice cream, or whipped cream. A dollop of lightly sweetened Greek yogurt is great, too.
And don’t forget to make coffee! Or tea, if that’s more your thing.
FAQs
Does coffee cake have coffee in it?
Not usually! Perhaps thrifty cooks who don’t want to waste that last cup of coffee left over in the pot use coffee instead of milk for their cakes. It would certainly give it a unique flavor and color.
Why is it called coffee cake?
Good question! If it doesn’t have coffee in it, why call it “coffee cake”? I would say because a piece of coffee cake goes so perfectly with a steaming hot cup of coffee (or tea). Perfect for breakfast or brunch, or a leisurely coffee break. Invite a friend over for coffee cake and conversation!
Why is my coffee cake so dry?
Usually dry cake is caused by adding too much flour. Follow the recipe carefully and measure your flour accurately. Use a measuring cup for dry ingredients, not liquid. Always use a spoon to scoop the flour out of the canister or bag into the measuring cup.
Overbaking can also cause a cake to be dry. Preheat the oven before putting the cake in. I often test the cake 5 minutes or so before the timer goes off. Insert a toothpick near the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a crumb or two attached, it’s done.
Make it your own
- Use canned or frozen peaches. It saves a lot of time and you can find them year round. They work great for peach crumble or peach blueberry crisp, too.
- Try other fruits instead of peaches: blueberries (fresh or frozen), apples, apricots, plums, raspberries, blackberries, or nectarines are good choices. Chopped rhubarb is good, too.
- Substitute whole wheat flour for half or all of the all-purpose flour.
- Experiment with spices. Add more cinnamon, skip the nutmeg, use cardamom, or ginger.
- Like streusel topping? Check out this streusel coffee cake. You could make the same streusel topping for peach coffee cake, if you wanted, instead of the turbinado sugar.
- Skip the turbinado sugar and top the cake with a sprinkle of powdered sugar just before serving. Or make an easy icing to drizzle over the top of the cake.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Coffee cake is best eaten fresh but if you have some left, cover it tightly and store at room temperature for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to five days. It can be frozen for a month. Thaw for an hour or two before serving.
More Baked Desserts with Fruit
Like to bake with fruit? Fruit adds so much flavorful goodness to baked goods. Try:
- Cranberry coffee cake with orange and cardamom
- Apple crisp with ginger
- Rhubarb and nutmeg cake
- Apple spice cake with bourbon glaze (the glaze is optional but so good!)
- Rhubarb upside down cake (made in your Instant Pot)
- Blueberry crisp (with coconut in the topping)
- Raspberry white chocolate blondies
- Blackberry and blueberry crumb bars
- The Best Banana Cake – seriously!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Homemade peach coffee cake, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Make it with fresh, canned, or frozen peaches.
Ingredients
- 4-5 large peaches, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (see note)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup milk (skim, 2%, or full fat)
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (opt.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, measure out two tablespoons of the flour and toss with peach pieces.
- In a separate large bowl, add remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, egg, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat on medium high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- In a greased 9×13 pan, spread half of batter on the bottom of the pan. Evenly arrange half of the peaches over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the peaches, then add the rest of peaches on top of the batter. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick or knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Notes
- Cake is best eaten fresh but will keep for 2-3 days.
- If desired, canned or frozen peaches can be substituted.
- Try other fruits, such as blueberries, apples, apricots, plums, nectarines, or chopped rhubarb.
- If desired, omit turbinado sugar and top cake with streusel or powdered sugar icing.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1square, Calories: 166kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 211mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Julie @ Table for Two says
ooo love the peach spice in this and i love that this is a coffee cake!! i’m always looking for some new coffee cakes :)
Meghan says
I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner too! It looks great!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
I have a couple of peaches that need to get used up, I might just have to make this for breakfast!
Stephanie says
This look fabulous!
To be honest I hate peeling peaches (but love other canning tasks like pitting cherries) so my favorite way of peeling them is having someone else do it
Stephanie says
Yay! Coffee cake! ^_^
Jamie @ Thrifty Veggie Mama says
Love this!!! I had a post about peaches this week too. I have some nectarines right now that just might become a coffee cake.
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
I made a blueberry coffee cake earlier this summer and it had nutmeg in it and now nutmeg has become a new favorite for more than just holiday baking. I love fresh peaches and this cake is a great way to use them!
Sues says
I love peaches in desserts, especially when you can actually bite into chunks of them, like this!
Kathryn says
This cake sounds wonderful, I love that it’s just bursting with all those juicy peaches!
Katherine Martinelli says
Mmmm this sounds just delightful! I really haven’t peeled that many peaches now that I think about it…
Rachael {SimplyFreshCooking} says
It’s nice how certain smells can take you back! I love it. This looks great, I haven’t had coffee cake since I was a kid and I forgot how much I used to love it until I saw this! MMMMM :)
Lesa @Edesia's Notebook says
That is a beautiful coffee cake. Those peaches look fabulous. So sad that summer is almost over!
Angela @ AnotherBitePlease says
Those fresh peaches cut up look so good. I want for breakfast now!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
omg.. you peel peaches. I’ve never peeled a peach in my life. (I bow down.) xoxo PS: You ate the skins right?? ;-) xo
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This looks so delicious!!