Simple Summer Peach Cake

Author Notes

This particular flavor combination comes from my childhood—on summer mornings, my mother would fix me a bowl of cut-up peaches with milk, sprinkled with sugar and a dusting of nutmeg. Although that's a pretty sublime combination, the flavors translate well to cake form. —Savour

Test Kitchen Notes

There's nothing like a beautiful, from-scratch cake to celebrate peak in-season fruit. That's why we had high hopes for this simple peach cake, and we definitely weren't disappointed. And we love Savour's note about childhood breakfasts that were served to her by her mother of peaches, milk, sugar, and nutmeg, which were the inspiration for this recipe. You really can't go wrong with that flavor combination, and it's the perfect way to use up ripe peaches and leftover almonds. Why not put it all together in cake form?

Your friends and family will fawn over this cake. It's chock-full of those wonderfully juicy peaches that taste best in the summertime, and the addition of ground almonds sets it apart from other simple butter cakes (you can also use almond flour too if you have some on hand). Using both vanilla and almond extracts also offers an extra layer of depth. It's luscious and a bit custardy in the areas surrounding the peaches, a texture that works when the cake is either warm or at room temperature. It's a great cake to take to a picnic or outdoor barbecue.

Feel free to arrange the peach slices on top of the cake however you'd like—neat or messy, you do you. The turbinado sugar helps tie everything together, so we suggest seeking some out if you're making this recipe. And don't be alarmed if the batter seems to curdle when you add the buttermilk, as it will come together again once you mix in the dry ingredients. —The Editors