If there’s one dessert that epitomizes summer, it’s peach cobbler. We have taken those iconic flavors and created this Peach Cobbler Cake! The sweet, fragrant peaches are topped with a buttery, crumbly topping – it’s the perfect ending to a summer meal. This recipe is easy to make and can be tweaked to your liking.
What’s in this Peach Cake Recipe?
This summer peach cake combines all the flavors of a peach cobbler while giving you the texture of a cake. Layered with peaches, cake, streusel, and frosting, it’s a treat everyone will love.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake and streusel structure. Be sure to measure using the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dense, dry cake.
- Leavening: Baking powder and baking soda combine to make this cake ultra-fluffy and light.
- Kosher Salt: Offsets the sweetness in every component of this cake.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds moisture and flavor to the cake and helps hold the streusel together.
- Sugar: A mixture of granulated and brown sugar sweeten the cake, while brown sugar sweetens the streusel, granulated sugar sweetens the peaches, and powdered sugar sweetens the whipped filling without making it gritty.
- Vegetable Shortening: Adds moisture and helps this cake to rise even higher than it would with just butter.
- Eggs: Whole eggs and egg yolks enrich this cake and give it structure.
- Peach Marmalade: Adds peach flavor to the cake without making it watery.
- Plain Yogurt: Adds moisture and richness. You can sub in sour cream!
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness of the cake and the whipped filling.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: Add texture and flavor to the streusel.
- Cinnamon: Adds a warm, spicy flavor to the streusel.
- Peaches: I recommend using fresh peaches for this recipe, but canned peaches will work in a pinch. Just make sure to drain and rinse them!
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bit of acidity to cut the sweetness of the peaches.
- Almond Extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor to the peaches and whipped filling.
- Cream Cheese: Gives the whipped filling structure and makes it creamy and tangy.
- Mascarpone Cheese: Adds a rich, mild flavor and texture to the filling.
- Heavy Cream: Whips up to lighten the filling.
Pro Tip: The almond extract may be completely omitted, or vanilla may be used instead. Almond extract simply enhances the flavor of the peaches.
Variations on Peach Cobbler Cake
This cake recipe is a great springboard for any number of fruit cobbler cakes. Simply switch out the fruit and marmalade to whatever fruit you love, like strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, apple, or pear! The possibilities are endless!
Soft, bouncy cake layers with peach marmalade are topped with a whipped cream cheese and mascarpone frosting; a layer of sweet, fresh peach slices; and a thick, chunky, and crunchy cinnamon and oat streusel topping.
While I highly recommend using fresh peaches, you can use drained canned peaches instead. I do not recommend using frozen peaches.
Yogurt is one of those secret ingredients for great cakes you might not know about. We’re using it here to help add moisture to the cake, so it doesn’t end up dry (no one likes a dry cake). Because of the high fat content, yogurt creates a rich and delicious texture.
Spray your cake pans with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour in it) or generously butter and flour them. Then, line the pans with parchment paper circles and spray again.
If your cakes are a bit flat, that’s most likely because you didn’t add enough baking powder. Also, be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder! If it’s expired, it just won’t do the trick.
A dry cake can be caused by 2 things. You may have measured the ingredients incorrectly, or you might have overmixed the batter. It’s important to scoop and level your ingredients if you’re not using a scale, and it’s important to have a light hand when mixing the batter.
You sure can! You will need 1½ (15.25-ounce) boxes of cake mix. Prepare them according to the instructions on the box, swirling in 1½ cups of warmed peach marmalade before baking according to the instructions for 9-inch cake pans. I recommend using white, yellow, or French vanilla cake mix.
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can make the cake layers up to 1 week ahead of time. Wrap the cooled cake layers with plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Remove the cakes from the freezer 1 hour before decorating.
Store leftover peach cobbler cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
How to Freeze
Individual cake layers can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 week. I do not recommend freezing the whole cake, as the whipped filling does not defrost well.
Serving Suggestions
If you can’t get enough of the creamy filling, top your cake with stabilized whipped cream and even more fresh peaches. For a more polished-looking cake, you could frost the whole thing with brown sugar frosting.
I love peach cobbler cake served with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.
Peach Cobbler Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3⅔ cups all-purpose flour 440 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8 grams
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda 5 grams
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 1 cup brown sugar 213 grams
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 23 grams (⅛ stick)
- 3 large eggs 150 grams, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks 28 grams, room temperature
- 1½ cups peach marmalade 510 grams, slightly warmed
- ½ cup plain yogurt 114 grams, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 8 grams
For the Streusel
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 grams
- 1 cup old fashioned oats 100 grams
- ½ cup brown sugar 107 grams
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 25 grams
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 9 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter 141 grams, melted (1¼ sticks)
For the Peaches
- 4 cups sliced peaches 680 grams, skin on (from about 5 peaches)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67 grams
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice 28 grams, from 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
For the Whipped Filling
- 1½ cups powdered sugar 170 grams
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese 227 grams, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
- 1½ cups heavy cream 341 grams, cold
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- To make the cake batter, start by combining the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.3⅔ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- Add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and shortening to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on high speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color. Add in the eggs and beat together for 30 seconds. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down intermittently.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, 3 large eggs, 2 egg yolks
- Add in the marmalade, yogurt, and vanilla and mix until fully combined, then fold in the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.1½ cups peach marmalade, ½ cup plain yogurt, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Divide the cake batter between the cake pans (about 642 grams per pan) and smooth out. Place the pans into the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with slightly moist crumbs.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Streusel
- While the cakes cool, make the streusel topping: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup old fashioned oats, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a ¼-inch thick layer. Place the pan into the oven (still at 350°F) to bake for 18 minutes.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the streusel has cooled, break it apart into small, crumbly pieces, no larger than the size of a nickel. Put the crumb in a medium-sized bowl and set aside until the cake is ready to be assembled.
For the Peaches
- While the cakes and streusel cool, stir together the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract. Set aside until the cake is ready to be assembled.⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 4 cups sliced peaches
For the Whipped Filling
- Place the powdered sugar, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, vanilla, salt, and almond extract into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on high speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and has soft peaks. Spoon the mixture into a separate bowl and set aside.1½ cups powdered sugar, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup mascarpone cheese, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Add the heavy cream to the stand mixer bowl. Use the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream on high speed for about 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks have formed.1½ cups heavy cream
- Once the heavy cream is stiff, add the cream cheese mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until smooth and combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Assembly
- Start by removing a cake layer from the pan and placing it onto a cake stand or serving plate. Spread ⅓ of the whipped frosting onto the top of the cake. Next, layer on ⅓ of the sliced peaches, then sprinkle ⅓ of the streusel over the peaches and frosting. Place a layer of cake directly on top and repeat the same steps on top of the second layer of cake.
- Top with the final layer of cake and top with the remaining frosting, peaches, and streusel.
Notes
- Room temperature butter may be used instead of the vegetable shortening.
- Peach preserves or jelly can be substituted in place of the marmalade.
- Sour cream can be used instead of the yogurt.
- Lime juice may be used instead of the lemon juice.
- The almond extract may be completely omitted, or vanilla may be used instead. Almond extract simply enhances the flavor of the peaches.
- Cream cheese can be used instead of mascarpone for a slightly richer flavor.
- Do not over-mix the cake batter once the flour has been added, as this will cause the gluten to over develop which can result in a rubbery or crumbly cake.
- It is easier to break up the crumb topping after it is baked by breaking it into semi large pieces, placing them into a gallon Ziplock bag, then crumbling them inside the bag.
- When assembling the cake, do not worry about making anything look perfect or having the perfect amount of something in the most even layer. This cake is meant to be rustic and slightly messy so just have fun when assembling it.
- Decorating Tips
- Add a little bit of frosting to your cake board or stand to hold the cake in place.
- Use a serrated knife to cut off the domes of the cakes in order to create even layers.
- Pipe a border of frosting around the edges to contain the peach filling.
- Add the last layer of cake bottom side up. This will give the flattest surface to decorate the cake.
- Crumb coat the entire cake before frosting. This will lock in any crumbs, creating a smooth layer for the frosting.
- Top with as much of the streusel as you like, and add a few fresh peaches for garnish.
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