A peachy recipe for a peachy season

I can’t remember the last time I baked this Baltimore-style peach cake recipe, but this year I couldn’t wait for local peaches to be ripe so I could make it. These peaches were a little shy of being ripe, but the cake still turned out well.

My sister Treasa and I baked this peach cake together today, and we made it in two round pans instead of on the pans the recipe recommends. We had to cook the cakes about 40 minutes because the cake part was thicker, but they were delicious. It’s a forgiving recipe, and easy to make with children. I love not having to worry about raw eggs in the batter.

And you can experiment with the fruit, too. I’ve tossed blueberries on top of this with the peaches, and I’ve actually made it with apples instead of peaches. I like this cake best with peaches, just plain, glorious, juicy, gooey peaches.

There are many versions of the Baltimore-style peach cake recipe, and I wish I could remember where I found this one. We’ve adapted it slightly, but the creator deserves credit. 
I may have to make this again soon—especially since I have one and only one other peach eater in my family. And my peach fan, Daniel, who is not a baked goods eater, even liked this cake—and not just the whipped cream I put on top. And that is saying something.

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 large peaches, peeled and sliced
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.
Sprinkle half of cinnamon/sugar mixture lightly over dough base.
Arrange peach slices on top. Sprinkle with remainder of 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.)
Most of the photos are by Treasa Matysek.

Catholic Review

The Catholic Review is the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.