Peach Skillet Cake

This peach skillet cake is an easy-to-make good ole southern recipe. Serve this cake straight from the skillet with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Fresh summer peaches never tasted so good!

Have you ever goofed up on a recipe, and the mistake turns out so delicious?

Well, that is what happened when I created this recipe.

I had some peaches in the fridge I needed to do something with, so I decided to try out a recipe for a peach buckle. Long story short. I didn’t read the directions all the way through before making the recipe. I misinterpreted one word that changed everything. Luckily it was a happy mistake, and this recipe was born.

This easy summer dessert recipe is so good I just had to share it with you.

Let me show you how to make peach skillet cake!

What’s is Peach Skillet Cake?

Three components make up this dessert – a peach mixture, the batter, and the sugared topping. 

This peach skillet cake starts with cinnamon sweet fresh sliced peaches. The peaches are smothered with a batter similar to a cobbler but more cake-like. Finally, the dessert is sprinkled with turbinado sugar to add a touch more sweetness and provides a crispy crust on top.

Versatile Batter

Use any stone fruits with this versatile batter like peaches (used here), plums, and even cherries. You can also try it in fall with apples or pears or in spring with fresh berries. Let your imagination run wild!

What is Turbinado Sugar?

Turbinado sugar is a light brown in color that has been partially refined. The raw sugar is steam cleaned to remove contaminants and left with a light golden color. Turbinado sugar grains are coarser than refined white sugar, which is why they make an ideal finishing sugar. It also has a nice molasses flavor that compliments the cake. 

You could also use sanding sugar to top the skillet cake. Sanding sugar is also a large crystal sugar that won’t dissolve with heat. 

Both sugars create a sparkly effect because of the large size of the crystals that reflect light.

Cast-Iron Skillet

The cast-iron skillet cake bakes nice and evenly, giving the cake a crispy finish. If you don’t own a cast-iron pan, you can use a casserole dish similar in size. Just remember, if you substitute the skillet, your cake probably won’t turn out as crisp on top.

What is Vietnamese Cinnamon?

Vietnamese cinnamon, also called Saigon cinnamon, is a type of cassia cinnamon that comes from the cassia cinnamon tree that grows in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese cinnamon usually has the strongest flavor of other varieties of cinnamon.

It’s my cinnamon of choice because it has such a great flavor. It practically takes anything your dishes to the next level, and I highly recommend it.

Click HERE to order some!

What Peaches Work Best for Skillet Cake?

For this recipe, I used a combination of both yellow and white freestone peaches. I used both because I was trying to use them up before they over-ripened.

I highly recommend using a combination of both white and yellow peaches. Yellow peaches are brighter in color, slightly more acidic taste. They also have a sturdier flesh that holds up to baking than that of white peaches. White peaches have no acidity, which provides a sweeter taste. The white peaches have softer flesh which provides a jammy texture. However, I do not recommend using all white peaches since they have softer flesh and don’t hold up to baking well.

The Three Types of Peaches

There are three categories of peaches: freestone, clingstone, and semi-freestone hybrid. The category refers to how the pit clings to the fruit.

For best results, use freestone peaches that are equal in size and have a strong peach aroma. The peach should give a little when squeezed by hand. Don’t use extremely ripe peaches as they have a lot more sugar and can burn quickly. 

Can I Use Frozen or Canned Peaches?

If you don’t have fresh peaches, I recommend using frozen peaches. Thaw frozen peaches and drain them well. I do not recommend using canned peaches. Most canned peaches are packed in syrup. Even if the canned peaches are drained, they add way too much sugar to the cake. The texture of canned peaches is also much more soft than fresh, and they turn out too thick and mushy.

Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe

• Unsalted Butter
• Peaches, pitted and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• Granulated Sugar
• Vietnamese Cinnamon
• All-purpose flour
• Baking Powder
• Kosher Salt
• Grated Nutmeg
• Whole Milk
• Maple Syrup
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Turbinado Sugar, or Sanding Sugar
• Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

How To Make Peach Skillet Cake

1. Sprinkle sliced peaches granulated sugar and cinnamon.
2. Brush the skillet with butter to help ensure the cake and peaches do not stick.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Whisk in granulated sugar, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix until combined, but don’t over mix. Lastly,whisk in melted butter. 
4. Add the peach slices to the cast iron skillet spread them around into an even layer. Pour cake mixture into skillet over the peaches. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F until the top is golden brown and slightly crisp, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center; about 50 to 55 minutes. 
6. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

This cake is best served warm with a big scoop of melting vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy the benefits of my mistake!

Other Peach Recipes

• GRILLED PEACHES WITH CINNAMON RICOTTA CRÈME
• GRILLED PEACHES AND PLUMS WITH YOGURT AND CARAMEL SAUCE
• DAVID’S CINNAMON PEACH CRISP
• SPICY CHIPOTLE PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE
• JERK CHICKEN WITH SPICY PEACH AND PLUM COCONUT SAUCE