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.
