This is the Italian peach cake I make when the yellow peaches come in. It is a humble butter cake, light and lemon-scented, with ripe peaches baked on top and a thin apricot glaze. As an Italian I bake with whatever is in season, and I love using the peaches during the Summer months.
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When peaches are in season in summer, I like to make the most of them.
I like to eat the flat peaches as they are firm and crunchy, while I love to use the yellow peaches for fruit salads or dessert.
Toward the end of the season you find discounted crates of peaches, and I cannot miss the opportunity.
Besides the peach jam, I love to make this peach tarte tatin or this simple cake.
This is one I found in my mother's Cucina Italiana collection, and I have made it regularly ever since.
It is the summer version of my Italian apple cake, the kind of everyday Italian home baking kept for breakfast or the afternoon as well as served as a formal dessert.
Ingredients
Here is what goes into the cake and how each part is used.
- Yellow peaches: fresh and peeled. Yellow peaches are juicier and smoother than white ones, and I would not use flat peaches because they are not as juicy. Do not use tinned or frozen peaches, they are too sweet for this cake.
- Butter: softened and whipped with the sugar into a light batter.
- Sugar: regular sugar, sifted and whipped with the butter.
- Fresh Eggs
- All-purpose flour: in Italy we use type 00
- Baking powder: sifted together with the flour.
- Lemon: the grated zest of one lemon.
- Glaze (optional): a cake glaze brushed over the peaches for a shiny top. If the peaches sink into the batter and only few are left on the surface you can skip the glaze altogether.
Find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Step by step instructions
- Grease and flour a high-sided cake pan.
- Whip the softened, chopped butter with the sifted sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the whole eggs one at a time, adding the next only once the previous one is fully worked in.
- Mix in the grated lemon zest.
- Fold in the flour sifted with the baking powder, until the batter is smooth.
- Peel the peaches, halve them, and cut them into wedges.
- Lay some of the peach wedges on the bottom of the pan
- Pour the batter over the peaches and smooth the top.
- Arrange the rest of the peaches on top of the batter and press them in with a spatula.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Wait 10 minutes before unmold onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- For a shiny top, brush the peaches with a cake glaze before serving.
If the peaches sink into the batter and few remain on the surface, so you can skip this.
How to serve it
Let the cake cool and serve it at room temperature, or cold from the fridge.
In Italy we eat a cake like this not only at the end of a meal, but also for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack.
I serve it with Greek yogurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and it is a good way to get children to eat their fruit.
It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
More desserts to make with summer fruit
Frequently asked questions
Which peaches are best for this cake?
Yellow peaches, because they are juicier and smoother. White peaches work but they are not as smooth, and I would not use flat peaches because they are not as juicy.
How do I keep the peaches from sinking?
The peaches sink as the cake bakes, so I use it to my advantage. I lay some peaches on the bottom of the pan, pour the batter over them, then arrange the rest on top of the batter and press them in with a spatula.
Can I use tinned or frozen peaches instead of fresh?
No, tinned and frozen peaches are too sweet for this cake, so use fresh ones.
Do I need to peel the peaches?
Yes, it is better to peel them.
Do I need to glaze the top?
Not necessarely. A cake glaze gives the top a shine, but if the peaches sink into the batter as it bakes you can skip the glaze altogether.
How do I know when the cake is baked?
Insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake, and when it comes out clean the cake is ready.
How long does it keep, and can I make it ahead?
It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, and you can serve it cold from the fridge.
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Italian Peach Cake (Torta Alle Pesche)
Verified Culinary AuthorityEquipment
- KitchenAid Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 5.6 oz Butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 Peaches
- 5 Eggs
- 1 Lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon Baking powder 1 packet
- 3 tablespoon Apricot jam: 3 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon water or lemon juice
Instructions
- Grease and flour a high-sided cake pan.
- Peel the peaches, halve them, slice them into wedges, and arrange them in a circular pattern on the base of the pan.
- Place the softened, chopped butter in a bowl and whip it with the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Incorporate the 5 whole eggs one at a time, adding the next only when the previous one is fully integrated.
- Mix in the grated yellow lemon zest.
- Fold in the sifted flour combined with the baking powder to obtain a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan over the peaches and smooth the top.
- Place the remainging peaches over the batter and let them sunk in.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for approximately 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Unmold onto a wire rack and allow to cool.
- Brush over the peach slices the glaze and serve.
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