When Colorado’s Palisade peaches are ripe, all I really want to do with them is eat them whole. Probably standing over the sink, with a sweet little rivulet of juice running down my arm. To me, it’s one of summer’s greatest pleasures, particularly up here in the produce-starved mountains. It’s a fleeting moment, however – they’re in stores and farm stands for all of a few weeks in August – and although summer is fading fast I’ve found myself unwilling to let their deliciousness go just yet. Which is why, when I arrived home recently with a bag of peaches that were a little off-peak, I decided to pivot and turned them into this High Altitude Peach Cobbler Cake. Luscious and buttery, it’s a nod to the richer comfort foods of fall while still featuring the concentrated flavor of those perfect summer peaches.
The cake base is essentially a pound cake, which, let’s face it, is a heavy hitter of a dessert. Emphasis on heavy. I’ve made a few pound cakes but tend to avoid them at altitude because traditional recipes can be tough and dry. Here, though, I’ve ensured a luscious, velvety texture with lots of eggs and a non-traditional ingredient – cream cheese! And a generous dollop of peach preserves (I like this brand) infuses the cake itself with juicy peach flavor.
The “cobbler” part of this recipe comes from chunks of fresh peach, tossed with butter and brown sugar. Even less-than-juicy fruit transforms into a warm, caramelized, upside-down-style topping. It looks messy in the bowl, but trust the magic alchemy that happens in the oven.
Pound cakes are often made in loaf pans, but I like the bundt shape because a) it helps avoid the dreaded sinking middle, and b) it’s prettier.
Be prepared for a long bake – over an hour – and even if the top looks done, be sure to use a cake tester or a sharp knife to make sure it’s cooked through. I’ve underdone mine a couple of times and it was a little … custardy? at the bottom. Which might actually be incentive for some to underbake, now that I think about it? It’ll taste delicious regardless.
So pretty, right? But the real magic happens with the “flip.” When you invert the cake onto a plate and lift the pan to find that warm brown sugar-butter-peach mélange oozing down the sides of the cake … I mean. I get a little giddy. How could anyone resist?
Personally I don’t think this High Altitude Peach Cobbler Cake needs any accompaniment, but if you’re feeling it, by all means top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a splosh of freshly whipped cream. No one will complain.
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Buttery High Altitude Peach Cobbler Cake
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 75 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
This rich and buttery High Altitude Peach Cobbler Cake doubles up on sunshine-y flavor with peach preserves and a caramelized fresh peach topping.
Ingredients
TOPPING:
- 4 TB salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups fresh peaches, chopped (about 2–3 medium peaches)
CAKE:
- 3 sticks (12 oz) salted butter*, softened to room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 c granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup peach preserves or jam
- 1 TB vanilla extract (not imitation)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Grease and flour a standard 10-cup bundt pan, making sure to coat every crevice thoroughly.
- Make the topping: In a medium bowl, add 4 TB melted butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Stir in 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt, then fold in the chopped peaches.
- Spoon peach mixture into the bottom of the prepared bundt pan. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined with a light-fluffy texture, 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each completely.
- Stir in the peach preserves and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour and baking powder and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter until smooth and uniform.
- Scrape the batter into the pan, on top of the peach mixture. smoothing the top evenly with a spoon or spatula.
- Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 70-75 minutes, until top is golden and a cake tester or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan about 30 minutes, then place a plate or platter on top of the pan and carefully flip it over. For best results, allow the cake to cool fully for a couple of hours before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
… I discovered (by accident, oops) that using salted butter adds just the right amount of salt to this recipe (yay!). If you prefer unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp kosher salt to your flour mixture before incorporating it into the cake batter.
… be sure to soften your cream cheese thoroughly. Cold cream cheese will result in solid lumps in your batter.
Where’s the recipie ??!!
Omgggg yum! I used to drive from Moab to the Palisade farmers market every weekend in the summer to get my paws on those peaches. This recipe looks heavenly. Thank you for sharing!
Made this today. My husband and daughter could not stop eating. Will definitely be making again!
Yum. How long will this stay okay to eat or can it be frozen?