Peach Streusel Cake has a moist dense vanilla cake filled with layers of sweet peaches and delicious cinnamon-sugar streusel. You may know that it is difficult to get a strong peach flavor in baked goods. This cake has the best, natural peach flavor due to our secret ingredient: peach nectar. Peach nectar is so simple to make! This is a great cake to make ahead of time as the peach flavor intensifies a day or two after being baked! I classified this as a dessert but honestly, this cake tastes amazing any time of day. It works for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dessert, and as a snack. You can serve it warm or chilled – it is just that good.
In order to make this cake, you will need a tube pan. When creating this recipe, I drew my inspiration from our Jewish Apple Cake. In our apple cake, we use orange juice in the batter. For this recipe, we make our own peach nectar by reducing mashed peaches combined with sugar. It really adds to the peach flavor!
Peach Streusel Cake Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this delicious cake.
Flour
I use King Arthur flour for all of my baking needs. (Not an affiliate – just really like their flour!) This specific all-purpose flour has a higher protein percentage (11.7%) than most other brands. A higher protein percentage equates to a stronger flour. All-purpose flour serves a wide variety of baking needs from cakes to pies to some breads.
Granulated Sugar
We use granulated sugar in this cake to not only add sweetness but to tenderize as well. When sugar is added, it results in the flour and eggs forming weaker bonds which produces a more tender cake crumb.
Baking Powder
Baking powder serves as a leavening agent.
Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil adds moisture to the cake evenly. A cake made with this oil will also stay moister longer than one made with butter.
Eggs
Eggs are important because they give your cake structure.
Peach Nectar
Peach nectar adds to the delicious peach flavor of the cake. We make our own with fresh peaches and sugar.
Peaches
I use fresh ripe yellow peaches in this cake. We use peaches both in the batter and in between the cake layers. I chose to leave the skins on my peaches because the baking will completely tenderize them and they add a beautiful pink hue to the cake. You may peel them if preferred. (We do peel the skins for the peach nectar peaches.)
Streusel Topping
We use butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and all-purpose flour in the streusel topping.
How to Make Peach Streusel Cake
We have detailed instructions in the recipe that follows but this is a brief overview of how to make this delicious cake.
Peach Nectar
Using a blender, pulse chopped peaches until smooth. (If you don’t have a blender, mash peaches as best as you can and then strain mixture after cooking.) Mix with sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until reduced to half a cup, stirring frequently. This took about 10-15 minutes for me. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add oil and cooled peach nectar. Mix until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold in 2 cups peaches.
Streusel Topping
In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed and crumbly. I use a fork to mix this.
Assembly
Spread one third of batter in greased tube pan. Add one third of remaining peaches on top of batter. Sprinkle a little streusel on top of peaches. Spread another one third of batter, then peaches, and a little more streusel. Add last third of batter and peaches. Sprinkle remaining streusel over top. (Please note: When adding batter over peaches, the batter will not fully cover the peaches and that is ok. Do your best to evenly distribute the batter between layers. It will fill in as it is baking.)
Bake
Bake for 75-95 minutes. (Mine takes 85 minutes.) A toothpick inserted should have some moist crumbs still left on it. Let cake cool before removing from the pan. This cake stores well (covered) at room temperature for 3 days or for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Removing a Cake from a Tube Pan
It can be a little tricky removing a cake from a tube pan. This is the method I find works for me.
- Let the cake cool for either 20 minutes or completely (if I’m in a rush, I only wait 20 minutes to speed the cooling process up). Carefully, run a knife along the outside edge of the pan (the sides of the cake). Gently, lift the cake out using the tube portion of the pan. Let the cake now cool completely (several hours).
- After cake has cooled, carefully run a knife down around the tube portion of the cake and the bottom of the pan. Using your hands, gently lift the cake off the tube pan and place onto a serving plate. You may need someone else to help you with this. Alternatively, you can place a piece of parchment paper (with a hole cut out in the center to fit on the tube) over the top of the cake. Say a prayer (ha) and invert the cake onto your hands (carefully), remove the tube pan, and then place back down right side up onto serving plate.
How to Make Peach Flavor Stronger?
The secret ingredient in this cake that creates the natural peach flavor is peach nectar. Peach nectar is simply the reduction of mashed peaches and sugar.
Can I Make Peach Streusel Cake In Advance?
Yes! In fact, I actually prefer to make this cake a day ahead because the flavors meld together overnight and become more pronounced.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
- Over-mixing – Take care to not over-mix the cake batter. When batter is mixed too much, the cake may be dense and tough.
- Peaches – We use fresh ripe yellow peaches in this cake. I chose to leave the skins on my peaches because the baking will completely tenderize them and they add a beautiful pink hue to the cake. You may peel them if preferred. (We do peel the skins for the peach nectar peaches.)
- Make ahead – I actually prefer to make this cake a day or two ahead because the flavors meld together overnight and become more pronounced.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
- Stand Mixer – to mix batter
- Tube Pan – to bake cake
- Cooling Racks – to cool cake and dishwasher friendly!!
If You Liked This Recipe, Try Our
Peach Streusel Cake
Peach Streusel Cake has a moist dense vanilla cake filled with layers of sweet peaches and delicious cinnamon-sugar streusel. You may know that it is difficult to get a strong peach flavor in baked goods. This cake has the best, natural peach flavor due to our secret ingredient: peach nectar.
Ingredients
- CAKE:
- 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (396 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup peach nectar (see below)
- 4 eggs, room temp
- 4 cups (about 8 medium) fresh peaches, chopped (I leave the skins on but you can peel if preferred)
- STREUSEL TOPPING:
- 12 Tbsp salted butter, melted and mostly cooled
- 1 cup (214 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- PEACH NECTAR:
- 1 cup (2 medium) fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Directions
- Step 1 PEACH NECTAR: Using a blender, pulse chopped peaches until smooth. (If you don’t have a blender, mash peaches as best as you can and then strain mixture after cooking.) Mix with sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until reduced to half a cup, stirring frequently. This took about 10-15 minutes for me. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Step 2 PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a tube pan with melted vegetable shortening or spray with Pam Baking Spray (with flour). Set aside.
- Step 3 CAKE: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add oil and cooled peach nectar. Mix until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold in 2 cups peaches.
- Step 4 STREUSEL: In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed and crumbly.
- Step 5 ASSEMBLY: Spread one third of batter in greased tube pan. Add one third of remaining peaches on top of batter. Sprinkle a little streusel on top of peaches. Spread another one third of batter, then peaches, and a little more streusel. Add last third of batter and peaches. Sprinkle remaining streusel over top. (Please note: When adding batter over peaches, the batter will not fully cover the peaches and that is ok. Do your best to evenly distribute the batter between layers. It will fill in as it is baking.)
- Step 6 BAKE: Bake for 75-95 minutes. (Mine takes 85 minutes.) A toothpick inserted should have some moist crumbs still left on it. Let cake cool before removing from the pan. (See article above for details about removing from the pan.)
- Step 7 PEACHES: We use fresh ripe yellow peaches in this cake. I chose to leave the skins on my peaches because the baking will completely tenderize them and they add a beautiful pink hue to the cake. You may peel them if preferred. (We do peel the skins for the peach nectar peaches.)
- Step 8 MAKE AHEAD: I actually prefer to make this cake a day ahead because the flavors meld together overnight and become more pronounced.
- Step 9 STORAGE: This cake stores well (covered) at room temperature for 3 days or for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
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