High Altitude Peach-Pecan Upside-Down Cake
30m prep 40m cook 1h 15m ready
One 9- or 10-inch round cake This delicious peach variation on traditional pineapple upside-down cake has a lightly spiced cake and buttery honey-cardamom sauce. Fresh or whole frozen raspberries can be substituted for the nuts. Replace the peaches with nectarines, or use fresh or canned apricots, pears, or whole frozen berries. Please read About High-Altitude Cake Baking. This recipe is for baking at 5,000 feet. If baking at 7,000 feet, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 40 minutes. If baking at 10,000 feet, bake at 350°F. Reduce the sugar in the topping by 1 tablespoon (10g). Reduce the sugar in the batter by 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (30g) and the baking powder by ½ teaspoon; add 2 tablespoons (15g) flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake for 45 to 48 minutes. Have all ingredients at room temperature, about 70°F. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Ingredients
- 30 slices peeled fresh peaches (3 or 4 medium to large), 30 frozen (or partially thawed) peach slices, or 30 canned peach slices (from two 15-ounce cans in light syrup), drained on paper towels
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup packed (155g) light brown sugar (or slightly less if fruit is very juicy)
- ¼ cup (85g) honey
- ¼ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup pecan halves or pieces, toasted
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- 5 ⅓ tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (80g) buttermilk
- ¼ cup (85g) honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (Whipped Cream) (opens in new tab)
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Have ready: 30 slices peeled fresh peaches (3 or 4 medium to large), 30 frozen (or partially thawed) peach slices, or 30 canned peach slices (from two 15-ounce cans in light syrup), drained on paper towels
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Step 2.
Combine in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and stir over medium heat until the butter is melted: 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter; ⅔ cup packed (155g) light brown sugar (or slightly less if fruit is very juicy)
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Step 3.
Add, stirring until smooth and just beginning to bubble: ¼ cup (85g) honey; ¼ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom; Pinch of salt
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Step 4.
Remove from the heat. Arrange the peach slices in the syrup in a pinwheel pattern. Tuck in around the peaches: ½ cup pecan halves or pieces, toasted
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Step 5.
Whisk together thoroughly in a medium bowl: 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon salt
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Step 6.
Beat together in a large bowl, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment: ½ cup (100g) sugar; 5 ⅓ tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, melted; ⅓ cup (80g) buttermilk; ¼ cup (85g) honey; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla
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Step 7.
Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and stir well to blend. Spoon the batter over the fruit in the skillet. (Don’t worry if the batter looks skimpy; it spreads as it bakes.) Set the skillet on a cookie sheet and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.
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Step 8.
Let cool in the skillet on a rack for about 5 minutes, or until the juices stop bubbling. Cover the cake with a serving plate that has a lip to catch the sauce, and invert with a sharp downward shake. Lift off the skillet and reposition any fruit stuck to the skillet. Let cool about 5 minutes and serve warm, if desired, with: (Whipped Cream)
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