Even though I’ve never been to Baltimore and can’t speak to the current situation there, I can assure you that this delicious yeast-based Baltimore peach cake is simple to make. German immigrants are claimed to have brought this recipe to Baltimore and used to serve it with delicious caramelized onions on top. While I’m not familiar with onions, any ripe, sweet fruit ought to work in this. If preferred, serve with ice cream.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 hrs |
| Total Time: | 3 hrs 10 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 9×13-inch cake |
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 ¼ cups warm milk (no hotter than 100 degrees F (38 degrees C))
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan
- 3 ½ ripe peaches
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
- ⅓ cup apricot preserves
- 1 teaspoon hot water, or as needed
Instructions
- Combine sugar and yeast in a bowl. Pour in milk, melted butter, and egg; whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Stir in flour, a small amount at a time, until mostly moistened, adding more if the dough is too wet. Add salt and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Start the topping: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Split peaches in half along the seam and slice halves into quarters, then into eighths.
- Transfer dough to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to spread dough out to the corners of the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise once more until roughly doubled in volume, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Arrange peach slices over dough, pressing them in lightly. Drizzle with 2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into cake (not through a peach) comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Combine apricot preserves and hot water in a small bowl and mix until preserves are heated and brushable; brush glaze over cake. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
- This recipe has been updated to include a few easy fixes I learned after filming the video.
- You can substitute 3/4 teaspoon fine salt for the kosher salt and replace Demerara with any other sugar.
- Both peach and apricot preserves, or jam, will work for the glaze.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 251 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 40 g |
| Cholesterol | 35 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Sodium | 310 mg |
| Sugars | 14 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I worked for Muhly’s bakery in Baltimore many years ago and have been looking for a recipe like this. The flavor was as I remembered, but the dough was too thick when I made it using a 9″ x 13″ pan. I tried a second time and spread the dough into a 13″ x 18″ (half sheet) pan. The cake was much thinner and let the flavor of the peaches stand out. Of course, I doubled the amount of peach slices and toppings. That was much closer to the cake I remember.
It took a long time but worth it. The bread/cake is so good. Instead of the Demerara sugar I melted a quarter cup of butter and mixed it with a quarter cup of packed brown sugar and about a teaspoon of ground cinnamon then spooned it over the peaches before baking. YUM!
I AM from Baltimore. This is the correct recipe, except you forgot to sift powdered sugar over top. Never head of the caramelized onions at all.
This was a labor intensive cake. It needed more sweetness and moisture. Followed the recipe, with Chef John’s caveats of five more minutes and a little more flour. I even did the glaze and confectioners sugar. Not sweet enough. For the effort and time, I’m not convinced this is the very best peach cake. But then, I’ve never eaten Baltimore Peach cake. Perhaps there’s a lesson in that.
I was born & raised in Baltimore many years ago. My mother used to make a peach cake that I really liked. Her grandparents were from Germany. Unfortunately, I never got the recipe. I remember it tasted like it had yeast in it but could never find a recipe that used yeast. After all these years I finally found the recipe! It’s not real sweet. My mom didn’t use the preserves. She sprinkled the cooled cake with powdered sugar. Thank you, Chef John. I love this cake!
My father was a pastry chief before he passed away. This recipe is very close to his. Peach Cake with a yeast dough is a very good cake. Pimlico Hotel and Sugar and Spice bakery on Greenmount Avenue, Peach Cake always has good memories.
I have never had authentic Baltimore Peach cake, but this was outstanding. The dough is not too sweet, and I did sprinkle the sugar on very liberally. It highlighted the peaches perfectly! The dough reminded me of the texture of panettone or stollen. I will make this again!
Will absolutely make this again. Perfect!
This cake came out great! I used about 1/3 cup more flour and baked it an additional 15 minutes or so.
I made this exactly per the recipe and it turned out impressively beautiful. However, even though I used really primo peaches that were very sweet, this bread was not sweet at all. I’ve never been to Baltimore so can’t speak to what this is “supposed” to taste like, and even though I personally don’t need baked goods to be really sweet, this could have used a nice thin icing glaze. So, 5 stars because it was beautiful.
This is so yummy, and so much easier than you would think! Chef John videos rock! I did not have peaches but had apples. I made the dough as directed but added vanilla extract and cinnamon. Then I peeled and sliced the apples, sprinkled them with cinnamon-sugar. Then followed the rest of the recipe. SO SO YUMMY!
I love yeasted cakes, and this was no exception! I had to add quite a bit more flour to get the right consistency, so be aware of that. It was barely sweet, which was fine by me. Next time, though, I might be more generous with the sugar on top. I would love to try adding cinnamon or cardamom to the dough for more flavor next time. Those are my favorite spices to pair with peaches.
Great job Chef John!!!! From an ex Baltimore kid you nailed it here. Thank you!!
Had to add more flour and felt it was still too sticky and baked up too thick. I should have spread it out in a jelly roll pan as the Peach Cake I grew up with in Baltimore was cut in approx. 6×8 inch thin rectangles from a large flat pan. I have tried several recipes sorta playing on the same theme and they are all too thick. I am curious if anyone has really tried these recipes who knows how Baltimore Peach Cake is suppose to be. Next year I shall try again with my jelly roll pan. I did break my fear of baking with yeast. Simons Bakery in Cockeysville is still selling their marvelous perfect authentic peach cake. Chef John maybe you could treat yourself and try Simons. The Best!!!!! Thank you for the great video. It helped me know what I was doing was correct with the sticky think dough resulting.