Peach Upside-Down Cake with Hot Rum Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
Peach Upside-Down Cake with Hot Rum Glaze combines sweet summer peaches with warm brown sugar caramel under a buttery rum sauce.
I’ve been hanging on to this pineapple upside-down cake recipe that I wanted to eventually try. When I ended up with way too many fresh peaches, I decided to make a peach upside down cake with fresh peaches
Had I known how amazingly delicious it was going to be, I would’ve been making it from the minute I saw it. John said that using the peaches had to be even better than pineapple.
Table of contents
How to Make Peach Upside-Down Cake
Step 1: Make the Upside Down Peach Cake Topping
The interesting thing about this kind of cake is that the topping goes on the bottom of the cake pan. When the cake is flipped out of the pan, all that gooey deliciousness makes a beautiful presentation on the top of the cake. So to make the peach upside-down cake recipe, you first have to start with the topping.
You’ll heat the topping ingredients in a saucepan, and pour that into the cake pan so that it covers the bottom.
Step 2: Fresh Peach Layer
Then arrange the peaches close together, covering the bottom. Remember that the bottom becomes the top so arrange the peaches in one layer so the entire pan has a layer of peaches.
Step 3: Peach Upside-Down Cake Layer
This recipe uses a peach cake from scratch. You can make a peach upside down cake with a cake mix for a quick and easy Upside Down Peach Cake.
Mix up the cake batter and pour that over the topping. Again, you’ll want to cover the entire peach layer with the peach cake layer.
Once the cake has been baked, cooled, and removed from the pan it is served with a hot rum sauce that takes it over the top. This sauce can be made on the stovetop while you wait for the cake to bake.
How to cool this Peach Upside Down Cake
When the cake is removed from the oven, it needs to cool for exactly four minutes before you loosen the sides and invert it onto a serving platter.
If the warm peaches want to slide off the edge of the cake when it’s removed from the pan, keep them in place with toothpicks while the cake cools. Remove prior to serving.
Let the cake cool on the serving platter for a full twenty minutes before cutting it to serve with hot rum sauce.
Peach Upside Down Cake Recipe Ingredients
Ingredients for the Cake Topping
- Peaches. Skins and pits need to be removed and then the peaches will need to be sliced into 1/2-inch slices.
- Salted Butter.
- Salt.
- Dark Brown Sugar. You could also use light brown sugar
- Dark Rum. One of my favorite Rums to use is Bumbu.
Ingredients for the Peach Upside-Down Cake Batter
- Cake Flour.
- All-purpose Flour.
- Sugar.
- Baking Soda.
- Baking Powder.
- Salt.
- Buttermilk. I don’t keep fresh buttermilk on hand so often make my own. My techniques post explains how to make your own easy buttermilk.
- Eggs.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Dark Rum.
- Salted Butter. Melted.
Hot Rum Sauce Ingredients
- Heavy Cream.
- Sugar.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Salt.
- Dark Rum.
Peach Upside Down Cake Recipe FAQs
Can I use canned peaches?
Yes, canned peaches work well in this cake but drain them well.
Do I have to use rum?
No, you don’t have to use rum. You can leave it out altogether. If the sauce is too thick add more cream.
Do I have to use cake flour?
No, you don’t have to use cake flour. However, I highly recommend it. Cake flour has less gluten than all-purpose flour and will produce a light and fluffy peach cake.
Can you freeze peach upside down cake?
Yes. We recommend making the sauce fresh and adding it right before serving.
Can you make Peach Upside-Down Cake ahead of time?
You can make it the day before it’s needed or make it and freeze it.
Does peach upside-down cake need to be refrigerated?
No, it doesn’t. However, I believe that it holds up better if kept in the refrigerator. Either letting it come to temperature before serving it or putting it in the microwave to heat it up a little is best for serving.
Tips for the Perfect Cake
I baked this upside down peach cake in a tall-sided 9-inch cake pan. The original pineapple cake recipe said to put it on a baking sheet for possible spills. I’m glad that I did because that baby bubbled over. I believe that a tall 10-inch pan would have worked well, and I would still sit it on a baking sheet.
You could add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the cake batter and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the topping.
Slice the peaches all about the same thickness so they bake at the same rate.
Do I have to peel the peaches?
Yes! Peaches soften while baking and the skins will naturally fall off leaving an undesirable texture and sometimes bitter flavor.
The Easiest Way to Peel a Peach.
- Wash and score the peach skin with the sharp tip of a knife 4 to 6 times down the length of the peach.
- Add the peaches to boiling water and keep them submerged or turn them for 30 seconds.
- I use a spyder strainer for holding the peaches down, turning them, and removing them from the hot water.
- Submerge the peaches in an ice bath for 10 seconds.
- Slide the skin from them immediately.
How to Store Peach Upside Down Cake
This cake is best kept in the refrigerator, lightly covered. To serve the cake heat it up in the microwave or let it come to room temperature on the counter.
You can also freeze unused portions of cake. If you choose to freeze the cake, I definitely recommend making fresh rum sauce when you are ready to eat it.
More recipes you may enjoy
Don’t forget to stop back and let me know how your Peach Upsidedown Cake turned out.
Upside-Down Peach Cake with Hot Rum Glaze
Ingredients
Cake Topping
- 3 peaches skins and pits removed* and sliced in 1/2-inch slices
- 8 tbsp salted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dark rum
Cake
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp dark rum
- 8 tbsp salted butter melted
Hot Rum Sauce
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1-1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp dark rum
Instructions
Cake Topping
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray the inside of a tall-sided 9 or 10-inch round cake pan.
- In a medium-sized saucepan combine butter, salt, brown sugar and dark rum. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and cool for no more than two minutes. Pour mixture into cake pan.
- Arrange the peach slices in the bottom of the cake pan.
Cake
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, dark rum, and melted butter. Whisk together until batter forms. Don't over mix or the crumb will be dense.
- Pour batter over peach caramel layer.
- Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the pan for exactly 4 minutes. Run the blunt edge of a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.
- Invert the hot cake onto a serving platter and let cake at least 20 minutes before serving it with Rum Sauce.
Hot Rum Sauce
- In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, bring cream, sugar, vanilla, salt and rum to a boil whisking occasionally to combine. Once boiling, turn off the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
This post was originally posted in 2018 so it was time for an update. I’ve added clarity to the instructions and additional tips. No changes were made to the recipe.
You had me at hot rum sauce but I will definitely take the cake too!
I know, right? It’s amazing!
I am sneaking in a straw to take a big sip of that drizzle. And I have peaches, so this will happen this weekend!
Thank you, Dorothy! I like how you think!
Love peaches–this looks so good. Guessing the rum sauce would be goood on my plum upside down cake too 🙂
Thank you, Inger! That sauce would be amazing on your plum cake!
Wow! I sure wouldn’t have to worry about freezing it, it would disappear very quickly here!
Exactly! Thank you, Jolene!
This look delish! We have a ton of peaches right now and that sauce on top makes it perfection.
Thank you, Hezzi! I wish I had another ton of peaches!
Completely gorgeous cake. I know what you mean about the window to use peaches.
Thank you, Karen!
Wow!! This is one incredible looking cake. The hot rum sauce though – that really makes it extra special.
Thank you, Amy!
Oh, this is wonderful! I have to make it while we still have peaches around. Thank you for sharing!
We love it and I must say I’m already making another one for the same reason. Thank you!
A combination of flavors to try
Thank you, Sonia.
You had me at hot rum. I cannot wait to try this.
Oh heavens, Mirlene, I’d eat my arm with a little of that sauce lol. Thank you!
So moist and full of yummy peach flavor!
Thank you, Mindee! I agree.
I definitely want to try this! I am a fan of upside-down pineapple cake, but I haven’t tried the peach version. Looks amazing!
Like you, Gustavo, I love pineapple so I’m sure you’ll love this one too. I hope you’ll stop by and let me know what you think.
Wow. I’m wandering in here 2021, how it took me ALL these years to find you delicious cake is beyond me but better late than never. Thank you for this amazing combination and a valuable way to use up my outdoor market peaches that woke up today ready to roll
Thank you, Jenni! We just love when fresh peaches are available at the market and this cake is one of our favorite ways to use them.
I was nervous to try this as I haven’t had great luck with upside down cakes coming free from the pan in the past. This cake was PERFECTION! Thank you for the great recipe and all of the helpful tips! Warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream … it’s the BEST!
I’m glad it worked for you, Michaela! It’s an easy one. Thank you!
Peaches, sugar, and rum, hello? How can you go wrong on this?
I love a good upside down cake and this sounds absolutely amazing! The peach and the rum in a cake, delicious!
Thank you Petra! I can’t get enough peaches right now!
I always connect summer and peaches. This sounds like a wonderful dessert to serve friends.
Thank you, Karen. This is such a yummy cake and the rum sauce is amazing!
That’s one goodlooking cake! Peaches in a pastry or cake are always so comfort-foody. I have to say, I’ve never had them paired with rum, but I’m eager to.
Thank you Jeff! John said he’d probably eat his arm if it had that rum sauce on it LOL!
Im sure that amazing cake is delicious, but Im still swooning after reading the words hot rum sauce! Seriously, its killing me how much I want to make that right this very minute! Cant wait to give it a whirl!
Thank you Michele! I swear John would have eaten his are drizzled with that sauce!
This is such a great way to use peaches! I agree with John, I think this is even better than using pineapple!
Thank you Meghan! The peaches were just as tender as the crumb of the cake so think it went together texture wise great.
Pineapple upside down pudding was my very first “specialty” bake when I first started to bake. I still LOVE eating it all the time… but I want to try the peach version! It sounds amazing especially with the hot rum sauce! Beautiful cake Julie!
Thank you Dini! I will definitely make it again. I’ll miss those beautiful peaches until next year though.
Wow this cake is sooooo drool worthy! I love upside down cake, I love peaches and I love rum – this is just a recipe for success!!! That rum sauce sounds to die for!!!
Thank you Michelle! John was putting that sauce on everything even after he polished off all the cake!
Oh gawd. I dare not show this to my hubby. He’ll want it every Sunday for eternity. The sauce sounds heavenly.
Ha! Thanks Jane. John likes putting in his orders too and usually complains that I’m going to make him fat as he’s polishing off the goodies.
I love Colorado (peaches, wine, microbreweries, scenery, outdoor activities) and I’m sad we’re so far away now! Were you on the west side of the Rockies? We’ve camped in Grand Junction area, Ridgway Lake State Park, Silverton, Pagosa Springs… The peaches are amazing!
This recipe looks like an amazing way to use those beautiful fresh peaches, and I love the addition of a hot rum sauce. Simply divine!
We were in Frisco Tamara and actually rode out bikes to Breckenridge one day and rode them back to Frisco from Vail another day. It was just beautiful and we were there right at the perfect time for the peaches. We love their microbreweries too! We have very few of them here in Nebraska but I’ve heard they are changing a law on alcohol content so we can attract a few. Woo hoo. John put that rum sauce on everything you could imagine. He just loved it. Thanks for stopping by dear girl!
Nebraska must be one of the last to make that change! We always look for local microbreweries and wineries on our adventures 🙂
We have a few Tamara but it’s hard for them because they have to keep the alcohol content lower than what is in a lot of microbrews. Baby steps right?
Ha! Ha! Story of my life. . .I buy fruit thinking I have some time before I need to use it. . .but within a day or two it seems like it is about to pass it’s prime.
As for this cake. . . what a beauty!! I just adore the hot rum sauce and bet it tastes wonderful with all that brown sugar goodness. P.S. I completely agree with John. . .so much better with the peaches.
Thank you Lynn! John is asking just for the sauce now. I need an intervention for him. Thanks for stopping by and have a marvelous day!