Taste summer in Baltimore with a peach cake recipe

When my sister and brother-in-law invited us to come to dinner this weekend, I asked what I could bring. They said they didn’t need anything, which sounded just fine to me.But then I was chatting with a friend who mentioned that the local peaches are delicious this year. She also said she was planning to make a peach cake.

Peach cake! I hadn’t thought of peach cake yet this summer, maybe because I don’t have anyone else in my household who likes both peaches and cake. But my sister and brother-in-law are peach cake fans. So the boys and I headed to the store, found some beautiful ripe local peaches, and I started working.

The peach cake recipe is easy and forgiving. You can use a little less or a little more sugar. You can also swap out the peaches for sliced strawberries or blueberries or a blend of all of them.

But it’s summertime, and Baltimore peach cake is a local tradition. There are many different versions, and I’m not sure how you can go wrong with any combination of peaches and cake. Personally, though, I like my peach cake simple, thin, without maraschino cherries, and where the peaches taste fresh and sweet.

Here’s the recipe:

Baltimore Peach Cake

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cup flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar, mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon

5-6 large peaches, sliced (peel if you want to, but it’s not necessary)

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Blend first seven ingredients. Spread in greased and floured 15 x 10 jelly roll pan or 13 x 9 pan.

Sprinkle half of cinnamon/sugar mixture lightly over dough base.

Arrange peach slices on top. Sprinkle with the remainder of the cinnamon/sugar mixture and drizzle melted butter over all. Bake for 30-35 minutes. (Moister fruit and the depth of the pan can add another 10-20 minutes.)

Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to top it off with a little (or a mountain of) whipped cream.

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