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Hot Honey Peach Upside-Down Cake

This recipe crafts a delightful hot honey peach upside-down cake, featuring a caramelized base of fresh or frozen peaches infused with spicy hot honey and butter. A moist, vanilla-nutmeg cake batter is baked over this fruit layer, then inverted to showcase a stunning, sweet, and subtly spicy peach topping. It's a perfect dessert, especially when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 3662.3 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch Round Cake Pan Preferably non-stick, or line with parchment paper for easy release.
  • 1 Electric Stand Mixer Or a hand mixer, for creaming butter and sugar effectively.
  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls One for dry ingredients, one for wet.
  • 1 Set of Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • 1 Rubber Spatula For scraping bowls and folding ingredients.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup hot honey such as Mike’s
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper optional
  • 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, divided
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt divided
  • 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peach slices from 3 fresh peaches or a 16-oz. pkg. frozen slices
  • 3/4 cup 150 g granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1 /2 cups 180 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine hot honey and crushed red pepper (if using).
  • Melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt in the prepared cake pan over medium-low heat, swirling to coat the bottom.
  • Pour the hot honey mixture into the pan and arrange peach slices evenly over it.
  • In a large bowl, cream the remaining 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter, granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and nutmeg.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with whole milk, mixing until just combined.
  • Carefully spoon the cake batter over the peach layer in the pan, spreading evenly.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Achieving a perfect upside-down cake starts with proper pan prep. Generously coat the pan with cooking spray and consider lining the bottom with parchment paper after buttering for a foolproof release. For the peaches, if using frozen, ensure they are fully thawed and patted dry to avoid excess moisture diluting the hot honey topping. Room temperature butter and eggs are critical for creating a smooth, emulsified cake batter, resulting in a tender crumb. Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added; mix just until combined to prevent a tough cake. When inverting, let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before flipping it onto a serving plate. This allows the caramelized topping to set slightly, ensuring it adheres beautifully to the cake.