Peach Praline Upside Down Cake is a sweet Southern dessert inspired by the classic pineapple upside-down cake. This version is made with juicy peaches, crunchy pecans, and a buttery brown sugar topping that bakes into a rich, caramel-like praline sauce. It is simple enough for a family dessert, yet pretty enough to serve for summer gatherings, Sunday supper, or any time fresh peaches are at their best.
This peach upside down cake is especially delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream melts into the warm praline topping and makes every bite taste extra rich and comforting.
During peach season, ripe Southern peaches are hard to resist. Their natural sweetness and soft texture make them perfect for baking, especially in a cake where they can caramelize with butter, brown sugar, and spices. While the traditional upside-down cake is usually made with pineapple slices, maraschino cherries, and sometimes a boxed cake mix, this homemade peach version has a deeper, more buttery flavor and a wonderful nutty crunch from chopped pecans.
The cake batter is made from scratch, but it is very easy to prepare with basic pantry ingredients. Softened butter and granulated sugar are beaten together until creamy, then an egg and vanilla extract are mixed in. The dry ingredients are added alternately with milk to create a soft, tender cake batter.
The real star of this Peach Praline Upside Down Cake is the topping. Melted butter goes into the bottom of the cake pan, followed by a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, and pecans. Peach slices are arranged over the sugar mixture, and as the cake bakes, everything melts together into a glossy praline-style topping. Once inverted, the peaches become the beautiful top of the cake.
How To Make
More detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Pour melted butter into a 9-inch cake pan.
- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and pecans. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the melted butter.
- Arrange peach slices in a single layer over the praline mixture.
- Beat softened butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until combined.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with milk.
- Spoon the batter over the peaches and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.
Tips For Making Peach Praline Upside Down Cake
- Fresh peaches give this cake the best seasonal flavor, but canned peaches or thawed frozen peaches can also be used.
- If using canned peaches, drain them well before arranging them in the pan so the topping does not become too watery.
- For a deeper Southern flavor, add one tablespoon of bourbon to the butter and brown sugar mixture.
- Do not let the cake cool in the pan for longer than 10 minutes. As the butter and brown sugar cool, the topping can harden and stick to the pan.
- Use a serving plate that is slightly larger than the cake pan so the praline topping has room to settle after the cake is inverted.
- This cake is best served warm, but leftovers can be enjoyed at room temperature or gently reheated.
More Peach Desserts To Try
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Georgia Peach Pound Cake
- Peach Cobbler Bars
- Skinny Peach Cobbler
- Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler
- Peach Crisp
- Cinnamon-Peach Bread Pudding
Peach Praline Upside Down Cake
Equipment
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9-inch cake pan
Ingredients
Praline Topping
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 to 3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
Cake Batter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Pour the melted butter into a 9-inch cake pan and swirl the pan so the butter coats the bottom evenly.
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In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the melted butter.
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Arrange the peach slices around the outside edge of the pan, then fill the center with the remaining slices.
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Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy.
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Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix just until incorporated.
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Spoon the batter evenly over the peaches. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top feels firm when gently pressed.
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Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate. Do not let it cool longer than 10 minutes, or the praline topping may stick to the pan.
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Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
