Old-Fashioned Peach Pudding Cake

This Old-Fashioned Peach Pudding Cake is one of those simple homemade desserts that turns basic pantry ingredients into something warm and comforting. Tender peaches bake beneath a soft homemade cake while brown sugar, cinnamon, and hot water create a sweet peach sauce underneath.

It may seem a little unusual to pour hot water directly over cake batter, but that’s the secret to this old-fashioned pudding cake. Don’t stir it! As the dessert bakes, the cake rises to the top and a warm, syrupy peach sauce forms underneath.

I first made this recipe because I had a small amount of canned peaches left over and didn’t want them to go to waste. It turned out to be such a simple and delicious dessert that it deserved a place in my recipe box.

Best of all, you don’t have to wait until peach season. You can make this pudding cake with canned, fresh, or frozen peaches, making it an easy year-round dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Peach Pudding Cake

This is the kind of old-fashioned recipe I love because it doesn’t require anything fancy. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen.

There’s no boxed cake mix, pudding mix, or complicated technique. You make a simple batter from scratch, add peaches, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the top, and finish it with hot water.

During baking, the dessert separates into two wonderful layers: tender peach cake on top and warm peach sauce underneath.

It’s especially good served warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a little splash of cream.

What Is a Pudding Cake?

A pudding cake is an old-fashioned dessert that essentially makes its own sauce while it bakes.

Unlike a traditional cake, you don’t turn it out of the baking dish and slice it into neat layers. It’s meant to be soft and spoonable.

The cake portion rises during baking while a sweet sauce develops underneath. When serving, scoop down to the bottom of the baking dish so every portion gets both cake and sauce.

Can I Use Canned, Fresh, or Frozen Peaches?

Yes. One of the things that makes this recipe so useful is that you aren’t limited to one type of peach.

Canned peaches: Drain them well before measuring. Peaches packed in juice, light syrup, or heavy syrup can all be used.

Fresh peaches: Peel and slice ripe peaches. If they’re especially large, cut the slices into smaller pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the dessert.

Frozen peaches: Thaw completely and drain off excess liquid before using. Too much additional liquid can make the pudding layer overly thin.

Whichever kind you choose, you’ll need approximately 1½ cups of peaches.

Why Do You Pour Hot Water Over the Cake?

This is the part of the recipe that looks wrong before it looks right!

After spreading the batter over the peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon are sprinkled over the top. Very hot water is then slowly poured over everything.

Do not stir after adding the water.

The water combines with the sugar and juices from the peaches as the dessert bakes. Meanwhile, the cake batter rises, leaving the sweet peach sauce underneath.

The water should be very hot and steaming. It can be freshly boiled water, but it doesn’t need to remain at a rolling boil when you pour it over the cake.

How to Know When Peach Pudding Cake Is Done

The top should look set and lightly golden rather than wet and doughy.

You’ll probably see some bubbling around the edges of the baking dish. That’s the peach sauce underneath, and it’s exactly what you want.

Don’t keep baking until all that liquid disappears. This isn’t supposed to have the dry texture of an ordinary cake.

Let the pudding cake rest for about 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. The sauce will thicken slightly as it stands.

How to Serve Peach Pudding Cake

Serve this dessert warm rather than piping hot.

Use a large spoon to scoop through the cake and peaches all the way to the bottom of the dish. Spoon some of the warm peach-cinnamon sauce over each serving.

It’s delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Heavy cream
• A small splash of cold milk
• A light dusting of cinnamon

A scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the warm peach sauce is particularly hard to beat.

How to Store Leftovers

Allow the pudding cake to cool, then cover the baking dish or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

Because this is such a moist dessert, refrigeration is preferable to leaving it on the counter.

How to Reheat Peach Pudding Cake

Individual portions reheat very well in the microwave.

Place one serving in a microwave-safe bowl, making sure to include some of the sauce from the bottom.

Microwave for approximately 20–30 seconds. If it isn’t warm enough, continue heating in 10–15 second increments.

You only need to warm it through. Overheating can make the cake tougher and cause the sauce to become excessively hot.

Jana Rae

Old-Fashioned Peach Pudding Cake Recipe

Make an easy old-fashioned peach pudding cake with canned, fresh, or frozen peaches and a warm brown sugar cinnamon sauce underneath.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rest Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 190

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1½ cups sliced or chopped peaches canned and drained, fresh, or frozen and thawed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup very hot water

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Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
2. If using canned peaches, drain them well. If using frozen peaches, thaw and drain them before measuring. Cut large peach slices into smaller pieces if necessary.
3. Spread 1½ cups peaches evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir just until the ingredients are combined and you have a smooth batter. Avoid overmixing.
6. Spoon the batter evenly over the peaches. Gently spread it toward the edges of the baking dish if necessary.
7. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface of the batter.
8. Slowly pour ½ cup very hot water evenly over the entire dessert.
9. Do not stir. The mixture will look unusually wet at this point. This is normal and is what creates the pudding sauce underneath the cake.
10. Immediately place the baking dish in the preheated oven.
11. Bake for approximately 30–35 minutes, or until the cake has risen and the top is lightly golden and set. The peach sauce may bubble around the edges.
12. Remove from the oven and allow the pudding cake to rest for approximately 15 minutes before serving.
13. Spoon warm portions into bowls, making sure to scoop some of the peaches and warm sauce from the bottom over each serving.
14. Serve as is or top with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a splash of cream.

Notes

Peaches: Canned, fresh, or frozen peaches will work. Drain canned peaches thoroughly. Thaw and drain frozen peaches before using.

Don’t stir after adding the water: This is important. The layers need to remain separate so the cake can rise while the sauce develops underneath.

Hot water: Use steaming-hot water. Freshly boiled water is fine, but it doesn’t need to be actively boiling when added.

Baking dish: An 8×8-inch baking dish works best for this amount of batter. A similar 1½- to 2-quart baking dish can also be used.

Don’t overbake: Remember that there should still be sauce underneath the cake. Don’t continue baking simply because you see liquid bubbling around the edges.

Sweetness: If using peaches packed in heavy syrup, drain them very well. The finished dessert may be slightly sweeter than when made with fresh peaches or peaches packed in juice.

Serving: This pudding cake is at its best served warm after resting for about 15 minutes.

Reheating: Microwave individual servings for 20–30 seconds, followed by 10–15 second intervals as needed.

Storage: Refrigerate covered leftovers and use within 3–4 days.

Optional flavor additions: A small pinch of nutmeg can be added with the cinnamon for a warmer spice flavor. Almond extract also pairs beautifully with peaches, but use only a tiny amount because its flavor is strong.

Don’t Throw Away the Juice From Canned Peaches

If you’re using canned peaches, save the peach juice or syrup instead of pouring it down the drain.

It can be used in homemade fruit sauces, glazes, drinks, or other old-fashioned recipes. I originally developed this pudding cake as a way to use peaches I already had on hand, so finding a use for the juice keeps with the same waste-nothing approach.

Sometimes the best recipes aren’t created because we went shopping for something special. They’re created because we looked at what was already in the kitchen and decided not to waste it.

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