This peaches and cream cake is made with two layers of soft and fluffy chiffon cake with spiced whipped cream and fresh peaches. It's the perfect warm and cozy cake to make during peach season but it works beautifully with canned peaches as well!
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Peaches and cream is such a simple yet delicious flavour combination. Traditionally, it's a dessert made with simply sliced peaches with whipped cream, sugar, and sometimes cinnamon.
This peaches and cream cake takes that classic combination and turns it into a layer cake with some extra spices to elevate the flavours. It's the perfect cake to make during peach season at the end of Summer and early Fall.
Why you'll love this recipe
- This peaches and cream cake is soft and spongey with juicy peaches in every bite!
- This is an easy two-layer cake with a simple frosting. No intense cake-decorating skills or tools needed!
- The warming spices in the whipped cream and cake layers complement the peach flavour and makes this cake taste like Fall.
Tools
- 8" cake pans - This recipe is scaled for 2 layers of 8" cakes. Since these are chiffon cake layers, use cake pans without a non-stick coating. Don't grease or line the sides of the pans. Only line the bottoms of the pan with a round of parchment paper.
- Electric hand mixer - This is essential for whipping meringue and whipped cream easily. You can make whipped cream by hand with a regular whisk but an electric mixer is crucial for whipping meringue to stiff peaks. It would simply take forever if you tried to do it by hand.
- Piping bag - I like to use 16" piping bags. They fit a good amount of whipped cream or frosting.
- Piping tip - You can use any piping tip you prefer for your design. I used an Ateco #809 large round tip for this cake.
Ingredients
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient.
- Eggs - Chiffon cake is an egg-based cake that involves whipping the egg whites and egg yolks separately and then folding them together. You'll need to separate the egg whites and egg yolks into separate bowls.
- Cream of tartar - This is an acidic powder that helps stabilize egg whites so that they whip up into a strong meringue quickly.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Milk - Use any dairy or non-dairy milk you prefer. It doesn't matter what kind you use here!
- Oil - Use any light-tasting oil like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.
- Vanilla extract
- Cake flour - Cake flour contains less gluten than all-purpose flour and makes your cake soft and light.
- Baking powder - The air whipped into the egg white meringue makes this cake rise when baked but baking powder can be added as a backup just in case the meringue fails.
- Whipping cream - You can use whipping cream or heavy cream for the frosting. Heavy cream will make a richer and thicker whipped cream.
- Powdered sugar
- Ground cinnamon - Cinnamon and the rest of these spices give this cake a warm, cozy, and spiced flavour that complements the peach flavour and makes this cake perfect for the end of Summer and early Fall. You can omit all of the spices if you want a classic peaches and cream flavour.
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cardamom
- Yellow peaches - Use fresh yellow peaches that are ripe but not too soft and mushy. You can also use canned peaches. Canned peaches taste a bit different from fresh peaches but not in a bad way. Don't use frozen peaches as they become mushy after they defrost.
How to make a peaches and cream cake
Prep - Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of two 8" cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Do not line or grease the sides of the pans and do not use pans with a non-stick coating. Set aside.
Separate eggs - Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks into two separate large mixing bowls, being careful not to get any of the yolks in the egg whites. Set the bowl of yolks aside.
Beat egg whites - To the bowl of egg whites, add cream of tartar. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until it becomes foamy like cappuccino foam.
Add sugar - Add the granulated sugar in, one spoonful at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Continue beating at medium speed until the meringue becomes stiff peaks. Set aside.
Make egg yolk mixture - To the bowl of egg yolks, add brown sugar. Use the same hand mixer to mix until combined. Add milk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
Sift in dry ingredients - Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift in flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix again with the hand mixer until just combined. Don't overmix.
Add meringue to the batter - Add about ⅓ of the meringue into the egg yolk batter. Use a spatula to fold them together until just combined. Add the rest of the meringue and fold together until no streaks remain.
Fill pans - Divide the batter into your prepared pans until they're about ¾ full (about 440g of batter per pan).
Bake - Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown. After taking the cakes out of the oven, immediately flip them upside down on a wire rack and let them cool completely like this. Once cooled, flip them back the right way and run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan to release the cakes.
WHIPPED CREAM
Whip cream - In a large mixing bowl, add whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat until it becomes firm peaks.
Fill piping bag - Transfer most of the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, reserving a small amount in the bowl.
PEACHES
Blanche peaches - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer and lower the peaches into the water. Blanche peaches for about 30-60 seconds. Remove the peaches and immediately place them in a large bowl of ice water for a few minutes until they're cool.
Peel and slice - Pinch at the skin of the peaches to create an opening or use a knife to score a line to get it started. Peel the skin off of the peaches. It should come off easily. Cut peaches into slices.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
First layer - On a cake turntable or serving plate, place down one layer of cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth a thin, even layer of whipped cream in the middle of the cake layer.
Add peaches - Place a generous layer of peaches on top of the whipped cream layer, leaving about 1" of the edge of the cake empty. Smooth some more whipped cream on top of the peaches just to seal them together.
Pipe cream - Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top, making sure the peaches are supporting the weight of the cake layer.
Decorate - Pipe more dollops of whipped cream on top of the cake and arrange peach slices on top.
Storage
In the fridge - This peaches and cream cake can be stored in an airtight cake container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days.
With cakes that aren't completely covered with frosting, always keep them wrapped or sealed in a container to prevent them from drying out.
In the freezer - Leftovers of this cake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours. Keep in mind that the peaches may become a bit mushy after thawing as is normal with frozen fruits.
Tips for success
Whip meringue until stiff peaks
This cake is leavened by the air that has been whipped into the meringue so the consistency of the meringue is important!
When you pull the mixer attachment out of the meringue, it should leave spiky peaks of meringue in the bowl and on the mixer attachment. It should be stiff enough to stand straight up and curl over slightly at the tip.
You should be able to flip the bowl upside down without the meringue budging.
Don't underbake cakes
Chiffon cakes tend to shrink and deflate if they're underbaked. In this case, overbaking slightly is better than underbaking.
Cool cakes upside down
These cakes should be flipped upside down immediately after taking them out of the oven. Place them on a wire rack to give the cakes air flow underneath. Cool them completely like this before releasing the cakes from the pan. This helps reduce deflating.
Support the cake layers with peaches
The tall dollops of whipped cream on this cake aren't sturdy enough to hold up cake layers and heavy peach slices by themselves.
Ensure the layer of peaches on the first cake layer is as tall as the whipped cream dollops. The second cake layer should be sitting on top of the peaches and just touching the whipped cream dollops.
Chill the cake before serving
Whipped cream can be a bit loose and soft when it is first made, especially if it has been sitting out at room temperature for a while. It will firm up if it's chilled in the fridge for a few hours to give more structure to the cake. This prevents the cake layers from sliding around when you cut into the cake.
Frequently asked questions
To make this cake in 6" pans, multiply all the ingredients by 0.75. Round any weird decimals to the nearest teaspoon or ½ teaspoon. You'll have enough batter to make 3 cake layers or 2 thicker layers. Bake for 5-10 minutes less.
Chiffon cakes are finished baking when the edges and top are lightly golden brown. The top of the cake should have a bit of resistance when gently pressed. The cakes will puff up considerably during baking but start to slightly deflate and flatten when they're ready to be removed from the oven.
To keep peaches from browning, try to peel and slice them only when you're ready to use them. Try tossing them in something acidic like lemon juice or soaking them in club soda for 5 minutes.
You can make the cake layers 1-2 days ahead of time or longer if you freeze them. The whipped cream can be made 1 day in advance but it may need to be whipped briefly again if it separates. Once the cake is assembled with fresh peaches, it should be served on the same day before the peaches start to brown.
More peach dessert recipes to try
Recipe
Peaches and Cream Cake
Ingredients
Chiffon Cake
- 8 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 40 g brown sugar
- 90 g milk
- 80 g light-tasting oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 160 g cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Whipped Cream and Toppings
- 400 g whipping cream
- 40 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 yellow peaches
Instructions
Chiffon Cake
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of two 8" cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Do not line or grease the sides of the pans and do not use pans with a non-stick coating. Set aside.
- Separate eggs: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks into two separate large mixing bowls, being careful not to get any of the yolks in the egg whites. Set the bowl of yolks aside.
- Beat egg whites: To the bowl of egg whites, add cream of tartar. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until it becomes foamy like cappuccino foam.
- Add sugar: Add the granulated sugar in, one spoonful at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Continue beating at medium speed until the meringue becomes stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Make egg yolk mixture: To the bowl of egg yolks, add brown sugar. Use the same hand mixer to mix until combined. Add milk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
- Sift in dry ingredients: Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift in flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix again with the hand mixer until just combined. Don't overmix.
- Add meringue to batter: Add about ⅓ of the meringue into the egg yolk batter. Use a spatula to fold them together until just combined. Add the rest of the meringue and fold together until no streaks remain.
- Fill pans: Divide the batter into your prepared pans until they're about ¾ full (about 440g of batter per pan).
- Bake: Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown. After taking the cakes out of the oven, immediately flip them upside down on a wire rack and let them cool completely like this. Once cooled, flip them back the right way and run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan to release the cakes.
Whipped Cream
- Whip cream: In a large mixing bowl, add whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat until it becomes firm peaks.
- Fill piping bag: Transfer most of the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, reserving a small amount in the bowl.
Peaches
- Blanche peaches: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer and lower the peaches into the water. Blanche peaches for about 30-60 seconds. Remove the peaches and immediately place them in a large bowl of ice water for a few minutes until they're cool.
- Peel and slice: Pinch at the skin of the peaches to create an opening or use a knife to score a line to get it started. Peel the skin off of the peaches. It should come off easily. Cut peaches into slices.
Assemble the Cake
- First layer: On a cake turntable or serving plate, place down one layer of cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth a thin, even layer of whipped cream in the middle of the cake layer.
- Add peaches: Place a generous layer of peaches on top of the whipped cream layer, leaving about 1" of the edge of the cake empty. Smooth some more whipped cream on top of the peaches just to seal them together.
- Pipe cream: Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top, making sure the peaches are supporting the weight of the cake layer.
- Decorate: Pipe more dollops of whipped cream on top of the cake and arrange peach slices on top.
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