Easy Peach Upside Down Cake Recipe

Easy Cake Mix Peach Upside-Down Cake

The Spruce / Morgan Walker

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

When you hear the words "upside-down cake," they are usually in the context of a pineapple and maraschino cherry confection. But you can make the classic dessert with other types of fruit, including peaches, plums, and pears can be used.

This peach upside-down cake is fast and easy to prepare because it starts with a cake mix. The irresistible dessert is soaked with sweet fruit juices and topped with caramelized brown sugar for a moist treat. It can be baked in one rectangular cake pan or two 8-inch round cake pans.

How did the upside-down cake become embedded in the culinary repertoire of nearly every home cook? Bakers have been cooking cakes "upside-down" in cast-iron skillets and flipping them out onto a serving platter for hundreds of years, but it wasn't until the mid-1800s that they got the name "spider cakes" because the cast-iron skillets were known as "spiders."

With the advent of canned fruit by the Dole company in the early 20th century, in particular, pineapple cut into perfect rings, the upside-down cake really took off. Topped with maraschino cherries for a pop of color, canned fruit became the convenient, preferred way to make upside-down cakes. 

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Easy Cake Mix Peach Upside-Down Cake ingredients

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  2. Pour the melted butter or oil into a 9x13x2-inch baking pan or divide the butter between two (8-inch) round cake pans.

    melted butter in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  3. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly in the pan(s).

    brown sugar in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  4. Drain the peaches, reserving the syrup.

    Drain the peaches, reserving the syrup

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  5. Arrange the sliced peaches and some maraschino cherry halves, if using, over the brown sugar.

    peach slices on top of the brown sugar in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  6. Add enough water to the reserved peach syrup to make 1 1/3 cups of liquid. Add this liquid to a medium bowl, along with the eggs and the cake mix.

    cake mix, eggs and peach syrup in a bowl

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  7. Beat as directed on the cake mix package. Pour the batter over the fruit.

    peach cake batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn upside down onto a cake dish or large platter. Serve warm with whipped cream. Enjoy!

    Easy Cake Mix Peach Upside-Down Cake

    The Spruce / Morgan Walker

Tips

  • If you are concerned about the cake sticking to the pan, line the bottom of the 9x13 cake pan with a rectangle of parchment or the two cake pans with circles of parchment paper before adding any ingredients.

Recipe Variations

  • Yellow cake works best for this recipe, but a white cake mix also works well.
  • Substitute a (28-ounce) can of pineapple rings or sliced pears for the peaches or use fresh, unpeeled sliced plums or nectarines.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Peach upside cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • Go ahead and freeze it if you'd like. Just know that the peaches might discolor a bit, but it's a good excuse to put whipped cream on top. Place in an airtight freezer container or bag. It will last for up to one month in the freezer.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
495 Calories
15g Fat
88g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 495
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 507mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 88g 32%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 61g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 173mg 13%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 209mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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