Brown Sugar Peach layer cake is a Cinnamon Cake with a Peach filling and a Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue buttercream. Its the perfect summer to early fall dessert!
I love the end of summer because you get all the end of summer seasonal fruits and then your just one step closer into stepping into the warm fall flavors. So, whether or not you’re ready for the fall flavors this is a slow introduction to fall.
Everyone loves a peach cobbler and a peach crisp, but you have to enjoy it warm with some cold vanilla ice cream. It’s not ideal to bring to a picnic or a gathering because honestly who wants the trouble of transferring a hot aluminum tray of peach cobbler to a get together? Certainly not me. But it is that time of year where you can pick juicy peaches and use them to make a delicious cake.
This brown sugar peach layer cake is a homemade from scratch cake it’s moist, and not overly heavy. With every bite of this brown sugar peach cake, you’ll get a delicious peach filling and a not too sweet brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream. And if you have never had a Swiss meringue you’re in for a real treat! It’s a lot of work but so worth it!
So, with this cake you get notes of caramel, toffee from the frosting and filling with cinnamon notes from the cake and the peaches. This Brown Sugar Peach Layer Cake is just divine I tell you.
Brown sugar, Peaches and Cinnamon what’s not to love?
- The Flavor combos are phenomenal, can’t beat that
- It’s not an easy recipe, but nothing amazing ever begins with easy
- A cake for any age, because it’s not too sweet
- Perfect peach recipe for peach lovers, and for peach season
Brown Sugar Peach Layer Cake Ingredients
Cinnamon yellow cake
- Cake Flour- Do not substitute with all purpose flour
- Sugar- Sweetens cake as well as provides moisture
- Baking Powder/ Baking Soda: Read more about Baking soda and Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Oil/Butter- Use a neutral flavored oil like vegetable oil and room temperature butter
- Milk- Whole Milk
- Sour Cream – Full fat at room temperature
Peach Filling:
- Peaches- fresh fruit or frozen peaches work well, I recommend ripe juicy fresh peaches if you’re making them in season!
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Corn Starch- thickens the filling
Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue:
- Brown Sugar
- Butter- Use unsalted Room temperature butter
- Egg Whites
How to make Brown Sugar Peach Layer Cake
Cinnamon Yellow Cake
Preheat oven to 325 F and line 3 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper and nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the butter, and oil. Cream butter, oil and then add in the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar) to the wet ingredients, mix until just combined, and then scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Heat the milk mixture until hot and then pour it into the cake batter. The cake batter should be thin.
Divide batter into three cake pans and bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 24 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes to check if it’s clean, once the cakes are done baking allow them too fully cool. Take a butter knife and line it to the sides of the cake pan to release the cake easier. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack until needed.
Peach Filling
Wash and peel the skin of the peaches and then chop the peaches into 1–2-inch pieces.
In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped peaches, butter and sugar over medium heat.
Let them cook for about 5-7 minutes until the peaches begin to release their juices and soften.
Mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Stir this into the simmering peaches and mix it in.
Continue to cook for just a couple more seconds, stirring frequently, until the compote thickens. Remove from heat.
Let the compote cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be refrigerated and prepped ahead up to a week.
Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
In a heatproof bowl combine the egg whites and brown sugar.
Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler) and whisk constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160F.
Transfer the egg white mixture to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy. This process usually takes about 10-15 minutes
Once the meringue bowl is cool to touch slowly start adding in the butter 1 stick at a time and then add in the vanilla. The buttercream might look curdled but don’t worry just keep letting it mix for another 10 minutes on medium speed.
Switch the whisk to a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 10 to 15 minutes to release the air bubbles.
* If the buttercream is soupy chill frosting for 30 minutes in the refrigerator and then try to whip it again.
Brown Sugar Peach Layer Cake Assembly:
Take a serrated knife and cut the tops of the cakes off to have a leveled cake.
Place a cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Fill a large piping bag with the brown sugar frosting and pipe a frosting border of the brown sugar frosting on the outer edges of the cake and fill the inside with half of the peach filling.
Top with the second layer and repeat until the third layer.
Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake and sides and then refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the cake set (crumb coat). Spread the rest of the frosting on the Brown sugar peach cake and then garnish the top with additional fresh sliced peaches. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour if time allows before serving and for best results consume the next day to allow the cake layers to soak up all the flavors.
Storage:
Store cake slices in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Any leftover cake slices can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
Make Ahead:
- Cake Layers – one day in advanced or baked then and then frozen until needed.
- Peach filling – 1 week in advanced and kept in the refrigerator.
- Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue – 1 week ahead you’ll have to thaw out the frosting and rewhip again.
Can this brown sugar peach layer cake be made into cupcakes and a sheet cake?
Yes, adjust the baking time.
Tips to baking the perfect cakes:
Oven Temperature: Not all ovens are created equal adjust the baking time according to your oven.
Don’t over mix once the dry in added to the wet ingredients
Measure the flour properly, fluff, scoop and level off the flour, too little flour and the cake collapses, and too much results in a very heavy and dense cake
Brown Sugar Peach Layer Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Cake
- 3 1/4 cup Cake Flour
- 1 3/4 cup Sugar
- 5 large Eggs Room temperature
- 10 tbsp Butter Room temperature
- 1/2 cup Oil
- 2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Sour cream
- 1 cup Milk hot
Peach Filling
- 4 cups Peaches Peeled, chopped
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Water
Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 large Egg Whites
- 1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1.5 lb Butter Room Temperature
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Cinnamon Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 F and line 3 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper and nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the butter, and oil. Cream butter, oil and then add in the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar) to the wet ingredients, mix until just combined, and then scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Heat the milk mixture until hot and then pour it into the cake batter. The cake batter should be thin.
- Divide batter into three cake pans and bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 24 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes to check if it’s clean, once the cakes are done baking allow them too fully cool.
- Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack until needed.
Peach Filling
- Wash and peel the skin of the peaches and then chop the peaches into 1–2-inch pieces.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped peaches, butter and sugar over medium heat.
- Let them cook for about 5-7 minutes until the peaches begin to release their juices and soften.
- Mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Stir this into the simmering peaches and mix it in.
- Continue to cook for just a couple more seconds, stirring frequently, until the compote thickens. Remove from heat.
- Let the compote cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be refrigerated and prepped ahead up to a week.
Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- In a heatproof bowl combine the egg whites and brown sugar.
- Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler) and whisk constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160F.
- Transfer the egg white mixture to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy. This process usually takes about 10-15 minutes
- Once the meringue bowl is cool to touch slowly start adding in the butter 1 stick at a time and then add in the vanilla. The buttercream might look curdled but don’t worry just keep letting it mix for another 10 minutes on medium speed.
- Switch the whisk to a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 10 to 15 minutes to release the air bubbles.
- * If the buttercream is soupy chill frosting for 30 minutes in the refrigerator and then try to whip it again.
Assembly:
- Take a serrated knife and cut the tops of the cakes off to have a leveled cake.
- Place a cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Fill a large piping bag with the brown sugar frosting and pipe a frosting border of the brown sugar frosting on the outer edges of the cake and fill the inside with half of the peach filling.
- Top with the second layer and repeat until the third layer.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake and sides and then refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the cake set (crumb coat). Spread the rest of the frosting on the Brown sugar peach cake and then garnish the top with additional fresh sliced peaches.
- Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour if time allows before serving and for best results consume the next day to allow the cake layers to soak up all the flavors.
