Peach Cake

Simple, rustic, and a little unexpected, my Peach Cake recipe features one of summer’s best fruits surrounded by a yeasty crust. The fresh flavor of the peaches contrasts beautifully with the sweet dough, and it all comes together with a delicate vanilla glaze. Be sure to watch the how-to video for helpful tips while making this recipe!

I couldn’t let summer slip by without sharing a peach recipe, and this one really takes the cake! See what I did there? 😉

Often known as “Maryland Peach Cake” or “Baltimore Peach Cake”, this dessert is based on an ancient recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box. Legend has it that the original German version was made with onions, but don’t worry, we’re only using bright and juicy peaches today.

A key part of the original peach cake recipe is the cake itself–which is actually more of a bread! The texture is a cross between my pizza dough and sweet bread, thanks to the addition of yeast. It’s not at all your typical cake and leans more towards a bread or galette, if anything. This peach cake is one of my grandmother’s favorite desserts, and I have a feeling it might become one of yours too.

What You Need to Make Peach Cake

Unlike many of my yeast-dough recipes, the dough for this peach cake does not require much kneading and won’t develop the smooth, elastic consistency you’re used to (like my sticky buns). It’s more similar to my beignet dough, except maybe even stickier. It can be a bit tricky to work with, but it is essential for the traditional peach cake texture.

Another important thing to note is that this dough is enriched. This simply means the dough contains a high percentage of fat, which helps tenderize and provide a soft, chewy texture and sweet flavor. Let’s go over some of the specific fats and other ingredients used in this peach cake recipe:

• Milk. This is one of the many types of fat we will use to enrich our dough. Any type will work, but I use whole milk.
• Yeast. An essential ingredient for this cake, yeast provides both flavor and texture. I prefer the results made with active dry, but you can also use instant. Scroll down to the recipe notes for instructions with instant yeast.
• Egg. Also part of our enriched dough, eggs tenderize and add structure. Egg wash on the exterior of the dough adds a beautiful golden color.
• Melted butter. This also helps enrich our dough. Use unsalted since we add salt ourselves.
• Flour. Use all-purpose flour; I don’t recommend using bread or cake flour for this recipe.
• Peaches. I use yellow peaches in this recipe because I find they are the best option for baking. Their texture holds up better than white peaches, and they have a little more acid, which complements the sweetness in the cake. Try to find yellow freestone peaches if you can–their pits are much easier to remove than clingstone peaches (these are my preferred peaches when making my peach crisp recipe, too).
• Sugar. A multi-purpose ingredient! A little sugar in the yeast mixture feeds our yeast and produces carbon dioxide, creating bubbles and an airy texture. Both types of sugar in the dough add sweetness and moisture, and the coarse granulated sugar on the exterior adds texture and a rustic feel. I use a bit of sugar in many of my yeast recipes, like my artisan bread.
• Vanilla extract. The glaze gets its sweet, slightly floral flavor from vanilla extract. If you haven’t read my post on how to make vanilla extract, you need to! The process is crazy simple, and even though it does take some time, the results are better than anything you can buy at the store.

SAM’S TIP: While not necessary, lightly brushing your peaches with a bit of lemon or lime juice after layering them on your cake will help inhibit browning (and impart a subtle tartness!). I use this trick with the bananas in my banana pudding, too.

How to Make Peach Cake

1. Heat milk to proper temperature, then sprinkle in the yeast. Add roughly 1 teaspoon of sugar and let sit until yeast is foamy (bloomed).
2. Add remaining sugars, salt, egg, and melted butter to yeast mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Gradually add flour until dough comes together. Do not knead; just mix until you have a well-combined dough. It will be very sticky, similar to my sourdough bread dough.
3. Put your dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Place in a warm, draft-free place and allow to rise until doubled in size.
4. Once dough has risen, spread over a greased jelly roll pan, pushing the dough up to form a ridge along the sides of the pan. Cover and let rise for another 20-30 minutes before adding your peaches, sugaring the ridge, and baking. Add vanilla glaze while still warm and enjoy!

SAM’S TIP: I like the look of the cake with unpeeled peaches, but if you prefer to peel your peaches before slicing, that will work too!

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoy!

More Recipes You Might Like

• Peach Cobbler
• Blueberry Pie
• Lemon Cake

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

Maryland Peach Cake

Simple, rustic, and a little unexpected, my Maryland Peach Cake recipe features one of summer's best fruits surrounded by a yeasty crust. The fresh flavor of the peaches contrasts beautifully with the sweet dough, and it all comes together with a delicate vanilla glaze.

Be sure to watch the how-to video!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup (236 ml) milk I use whole milk but any type of milk will work
• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast see note 1 if you would like to use instant yeast
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon table salt
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature preferred
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 3 ¼ cups (406 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ¾ lbs (800 g) peaches² this is typically 4 peaches for me. Weigh before slicing.

Egg wash (optional, but encourages a beautiful browning on the edge of the cake)

• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon water
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Coarse granulated sugar for sprinkling optional

Glaze

• ▢ ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon milk
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Recommended Equipment

• ▢
  10×15” jelly roll pan (25x38cm)
• ▢
  Thermometer (for checking temperature of liquid for yeast)
• ▢
  Mixing bowls
• ▢
  Pastry brush

Instructions

• Heat milk (either in a microwave-safe dish or in a small saucepan) until it is between 115-120F (46-48C). Always stir before checking the temperature.
  1 cup (236 ml) milk
• Pour milk into a large mixing bowl and then sprinkle yeast over top. Take a large pinch of sugar (about 1 teaspoon) and sprinkle that in as well to help the yeast grow quickly. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until yeast has bloomed/is foamy (if it does not become foamy you will need to start over).
  2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• Once yeast is foamy, add sugars, salt, egg, and melted butter and stir until well-combined
  2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon table salt, 1 large egg, 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Gradually add flour until dough is completely combined. Kneading is not required, just mix until you have dough that is well-combined.
  3 ¼ cups (406 g) all-purpose flour
• Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Place in a warm, draft-free place and allow to rise until doubled in size (typically 1-2 hours for me).
• Once dough has risen, lightly grease a jelly roll pan (I lightly grease with a bit of butter). Turn dough out into pan and use a spatula to spread the dough over the pan, pushing the dough up the sides of the pan to form a ridge that’s about ½”- 1” (1.25-2.5cm) thick. If you need to use your fingers to manipulate the dough, it will help to lightly dust them with flour first.
• Cover dough and let rise for 20-30 minutes or until increased in size by approximately 50%. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and slice your peaches, if you haven’t already and prepare your egg wash by whisking together egg and 1 teaspoon water.
  1 large egg, 1 teaspoon water

Assembly

• Once dough has risen again, layer your peaches evenly onto the cake within the ridge, slightly overlapping them and gently pressing them into the dough. You should be able to fit 3 long rows of peach slices.
  1 ¾ lbs (800 g) peaches²
• Use a pastry brush to lightly but thoroughly brush the ridge of the cake with egg wash and sprinkle the ridge with granulated sugar, if desired.
  2 Tablespoons Coarse granulated sugar for sprinkling
• Transfer to 375F (190C) oven and bake for 17-20 minutes. If you used the egg wash, your edges will be a beautiful golden brown.

Glaze

• While cake is still warm, prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. If your glaze is too thick, add another splash of milk, and if it’s too thin add a bit more sugar. The glaze should fall in a ribbon from your whisk when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl.
  ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Drizzle glaze over warm cake.
• Serve warm or allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

¹Substituting instant yeast:

You can substitute instant yeast, though I prefer the results when making with active dry. To make with instant yeast, stir together yeast, sugars, salt, and about half of the flour. Add warm milk and stir well. Stir in egg and butter and then gradually stir in remaining flour until dough is completely combined. Proceed with the recipe as written (from step 5). Dough may not take as long to rise this way.

²Peaches:

Fresh peaches are best. The riper they are the more flavorful your cake will be, but if they’re too soft they’ll be difficult to slice. Frozen peaches may be used but often don’t have the best flavor. I recommend thawing and patting dry before using. I do not peel my peaches and prefer the look of the cake with the peel intact, but feel free to peel yours before slicing if you prefer.

³Storing:

Cover peach cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If left out of the refrigerator, it is prone to becoming moldy quickly, and when stored longer than 3 days it can become soggy. This cake can be frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

Related Recipes