Peaches & Corn Upside Down Cake

This cake features a fluffy sponge dotted with pieces of corn (yes, from a can, sorry!) and with just a touch of cornmeal for texture without making it taste like cornbread. Jammy peaches line the bottom…or is it top? of this upside-down cake for both a bright flavor and show-stopping presentation. You can serve this cake with one or both whipped cream recipes provided, or forego the whipped cream altogether in favor of vanilla ice cream. My favorite is the salted corn whip for an extra corny punch. For those who want a more peach-forward dessert, you can also serve alongside a homemade peach compote or warmed peach preserves/jam (*Ina voice* “store-bought is fine!”).

Peaches & Corn Upside Down Cake

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8

This cake is the perfect bite of summer, featuring a tall, fluffy cake topped with jammy peaches and dotted with corn. Serve warm alongside salty corn whipped cream or peach whipped cream or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Special thanks to Stella Parks, from whose yellow cake recipe was a great starting point for this recipe.

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Ingredients

For the Topping

• 56 g butter melted
• 106.3 g brown sugar
• 2 peaches fresh or frozen equivalent; no need to peel
• optional: fresh or dried herbs experiment with thyme, basil, mint, and more

For the Cake

• 213 g gold medal AP flour
• 85 g unsalted butter Slightly softened/cool room temperature
• 56 g neutral oil
• 227 g sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 43 g cornmeal
• 1 tsp kosher salt Diamond brand; use half as much for table salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup canned corn strained with liquid reserved for whipped cream
• 255 g buttermilk
• .25tsp almond extract

For the Salted Corn Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp reserved liquid from strained corn
• 1 Tbsp dried milk powder
• 1 small splash almond extract
• 4 Tbsp powdered sugar
• generous 1/2 tsp kosher salt Diamond brand; use half as much for table salt

For the Peachy Whipped Cream

• 1 peach diced
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp dried milk powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Prepare the Topping

• Slice peaches about 1/2" thick.
• Add melted butter to unlined 8" cake pan. Sprinkle fresh herbs over butter, if using. Then, sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter, then carefully arrange the peach slices around the perimeter of the pan. Try to minimize any gaps between peaches, as this will create space for the batter to stick to the pan and will look messier. Move pan to the refrigerator to set the design.
  56 g butter, 106.3 g brown sugar, 2 peaches, optional: fresh or dried herbs

Make the Cake

• Move oven rack to center of oven and preheat to 350F.
• Measure out all purpose flour and cornmeal together in a single container and blend together with a fork. Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp of this flour mixture onto the strained corn. Measure out buttermilk. Set everything aside.
  213 g gold medal AP flour, 43 g cornmeal, 1 cup canned corn, 255 g buttermilk
• Cream together butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed. Beat until light and fluffy, which should take a couple minutes.
  85 g unsalted butter, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 0.5 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp kosher salt, 227 g sugar
• Add the oil and continue to beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add the almond extract, whole egg and egg yolks, pausing between each to allow for thorough incorporation. Scrape down the bowl once more.
  56 g neutral oil, 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, .25tsp almond extract
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until mostly incorporated before adding 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat alternately adding flour and buttermilk until everything is combined with just a couple streaks of unincorporated ingredients remaining.
• Gently toss strained corn with the flour mixture until most of the corn kernels are coated. Dump corn into the cake batter and fold in gently with a spatula until no more streaks of flour or buttermilk remain.
• Remove cake pan from fridge and carefully pour the batter over the peaches, starting from the center and moving out to the sides so as to not trap any air bubbles. Fill pan about 2/3 full.
DO NOT OVERFILL PAN; if your pan is shallower than 3", you will have some extra batter. If your pan is 3" deep, you should be able to use all the batter.
• Smooth out the surface with an offset spatula, then bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a couple crumbs attached. IF YOU ARE USING A SHALLOWER PAN, please keep an eye on the cake and reduce bake time. I have not done testing on this, but I would start checking on the cake starting at 30 minutes.
Check cake at around the 35-40 minute mark to see if it's darkening too quickly and gently lay a piece of foil over the top of the pan if it is.
• Remove from the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. Then, run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan to release the cake. Place a large plate or cake plate over the pan, then swiftly and carefully flip everything over as a unit. Tap on the bottom of the cake pan, which should now be facing up, until you feel the cake release, then carefully remove the pan completely. If any peaches fall off during this step you can carefully place them back in the arrangement.
• Let cool at least 30 more minutes. I prefer to eat this cake when it's still a touch warm, but it can also be enjoyed at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, bringing the cake to room temperature on the counter or with a quick zap of the microwave before enjoying.

Make the Whipped Cream

• If making the peachy whipped cream, mix peaches and sugar in a ziploc bag or vacuum sealed bag and allow to macerate at room temperature for at least an hour, until sugar is fully dissolved and much of the juice has been extracted from the peaches.
  1 peach, 50 g granulated sugar
• FOR PEACHY WHIPPED CREAM: Place ingredients in a bowl, or my preferred vessel: a deli container. Using a handheld mixer, stand mixer, or immersion blender with the whisk attachment (the latter is my preference), whip until mixture begins to thicken. Add 3-4 Tbsp of macerated peach liquid (with peach chunks strained out), then continue whipping until you reach medium stiff peaks.Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2 cups heavy cream, 1 Tbsp dried milk powder, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
Do not over whip or you'll end up with a grainy/lumpy whipped cream (or worse — butter).
Different tools for whipping cream can yield drastically different whipped cream textures. I prefer a handheld immersion blender with whisk attachment, which produces a medium-dense whipped cream with a little more body than the fluffy whipped cream you get out of a stand mixer. A hand mixer lands somewhere in the middle.
• FOR SALTED CORN WHIPPED CREAM: Place ingredients in a bowl, or my preferred vessel: a deli container. Using a handheld mixer, stand mixer, or immersion blender with the whisk attachment (the latter is my preference), whip until you reach medium stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2 Tbsp reserved liquid from strained corn, 1 small splash almond extract, 4 Tbsp powdered sugar, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 Tbsp dried milk powder, generous 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Notes

This recipe utilizes a 3-inch deep, 8-inch round pan. This is not a standard size but if you bake cakes a lot, I recommend investing in one or two of these because they result in flatter layers. If your pan is shallower than 3", you may have some batter left over. Do not overfill the pan, as it may overflow in the oven. Instead, use the extra batter to fill a small loaf pan or bake a couple corn muffins.