How to Make Summer Peach Cake with Red Berries (Video)

Show off ripe summer fruit with this Peach Cake with Red Berries. A tender, buttery crumb and a hint of almond lift this simple cake to something special.

If you enjoy fruit-forward summer bakes, also try my Naked Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Crushed Strawberries (recipe available on my site).

Summer is prime time for juicy peaches and bright berries. I love eating fruit fresh, but I also enjoy turning the season’s best produce into effortless bakes. This peach cake is one of my go-to recipes: the crumb is moist and flavorful, the almond notes add depth, and the fruit becomes tender and aromatic as it bakes.

Best of all, this cake is straightforward to prepare. It comes together quickly, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the warm weather and fresh fruit.

Yes, I sometimes bake in the heat — but family smiles and eager forks make it worth the little extra warmth in the kitchen. This cake is a favorite with my kids and always disappears fast at the table.

What you’ll need

This recipe uses common pantry ingredients—plain flour, sugar, butter, baking powder—plus ground almonds for a nutty scent and extra moisture. I also use buttermilk to keep the crumb tender and slightly tangy, which pairs beautifully with summer fruit.

The cake works best with ripe peaches and a handful of red berries. I use red currants when I can find them; raspberries are an excellent, widely available substitute. Use the ripest stone fruit you can find for the juiciest result.

For baking, I recommend a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan lined with parchment paper. A springform pan makes it easy to remove the cake without flipping it out.

Tips for making this cake tender and moist

Use a blend of plain flour and ground almonds for the best texture. The ground almonds enrich the batter and help retain moisture so the cake stays soft.

Using buttermilk keeps the cake tender and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 120–125 ml (1/2 cup) milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

Choose ripe, juicy peaches for moisture and texture, and pair them with tart berries—red currants or raspberries are ideal. The contrast between the sweet sponge and tangy berries gives the cake a refreshing summer character.

How do I make easy peach cake?

The batter is incredibly simple to make. Combine the dry ingredients, add butter, then stir in eggs, buttermilk and extracts until smooth. A food processor speeds this up, but a stand mixer or hand mixer works equally well.

Once the batter is ready, spread half of it into a prepared springform pan, scatter half the berries, cover with the remaining batter and smooth the top. Arrange peach slices in a circle across the cake and scatter remaining berries on top.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan briefly, then release the sides and finish cooling on a rack. Finish with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar before serving.

Substitutions

This cake is very adaptable. Swap peaches for other stone fruits—nectarines, apricots or plums all work without changing the recipe. Use whatever berries you prefer for baking; raspberries, blueberries or a mixed berry combination are all excellent choices.

Summer Peach Cake with Red Berries

By Julia Frey of Vikalinka

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 1 hr | Total: 1 hr 50 mins | Serves: 8

Equipment

• 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan, lined with parchment
• Food processor or stand mixer (or a hand mixer)
• Cooling rack

Ingredients

• 200 g (2/3 cup) plain flour
• 150 g (1 1/4 cups) ground almonds
• 2 1/3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g (1 cup) sugar
• 175 g (3/4 cup) butter, very soft
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 3 ripe peaches, stone removed and sliced
• 70 g (about 1 cup) berries for baking (raspberries, red currants, blueberries, etc.)
• 70 g (about 1 cup) additional red berries for decorating
• 1 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 9 inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor or mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt and baking powder. Pulse or whisk briefly to blend.
3. Add the very soft butter and process or beat until incorporated. Then add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and almond extracts and blend until smooth—about 1 minute. The batter will be sticky.
4. Prepare the fruit: remove the stones from the peaches and slice them, wash and dry the berries.
5. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and scatter half of the berries over it. Top with the remaining batter and smooth the surface. Arrange peach slices in a ring across the top, then add the remaining berries.
6. Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to release it and remove the springform. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool completely.
7. Just before serving, top with fresh berries and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Nutrition

Approximate per serving: 433 kcal, Carbohydrates 39 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 29 g. Nutrition is an estimate and should be used as a guideline only.

If you make this cake, let me know how it turned out—it’s one of my favorite ways to celebrate summer fruit.