A simple and rustic gluten free peach cake made with buckwheat flour and cornmeal, plus loads of fresh peaches. This easy, homey cake is a summer favorite.
When a friend gives you peaches, make peach cake! Our peach trees are still in their relative infancy, but we are fortunate enough to have nearby neighbors who often invite us to pick their peaches. And what better to do with a glut of peaches than make gluten free peach cake?
In season, peaches are so lovely and I love gently showcasing them in this subtly textured rustic dessert (though this not-too-sweet cake would work perfectly as a breakfast as well). I combined buckwheat flour and a medium-grind cornmeal here as my gluten free flours, and the resulting crumb is sturdy enough to support the juicy peaches. Add a scoop of ice cream and dessert is sorted!
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Why You'll Love It
This is a nubbly, juicy cake made with fresh peaches, buttermilk, brown sugar, and a simple combination of buckwheat and cornmeal flour -- perfect on a summer morning or served for dessert with ice cream. Plus, this gluten free peach cake is easily made dairy-free if needed (see my suggestions lower down). Warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom to bring interest, and the sliced fresh peaches scattered across the top make this a perfect summer treat.
Ingredient Notes
Here's a look at the ingredients needed for this cake. For the full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, check the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter to make the cake so that it doesn't compete with the sweetness of the brown sugar.
- Brown sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar, or try coconut sugar to make it refined sugar-free.
- Eggs - This recipe was developed using large eggs, so I recommend using large eggs when you make it.
- Buckwheat flour - Buckwheat can be sold in light or dark varieties, note that the color does not affect the taste. If you prefer a lighter-looking cake, pick up a bag of light buckwheat flour.
- Cornmeal - I like to use a medium-grind cornmeal for this cake to add a little texture. You could also use fine-ground cornmeal but I don't recommend using a large, coarser grind like polenta.
- Leavening - Baking soda and baking powder help the cake to rise.
- Spices - A combination of ground cinnamon and cardamom adds warmth.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt in my recipes.
- Buttermilk - Make sure to shake the buttermilk well before stirring it into the batter.
- Peaches - Any type of peaches will be perfect in this cake, and there's no need to peel them. Simply (gently) wash them, remove the pits, and slice them up.
Can I Use Frozen Peaches?
Yes, you can use frozen peaches for this recipe. Of course, fresh peaches are the star of this cake so if you can get them, use them! If you do use frozen peaches, buy sliced peaches so that you can easily add them to the cake. No need to defrost first.
Tips & Substitutions
Go ahead and make this gluten free peach cake as written or make a few ingredient swaps as you need. I've outlined them below:
- Buckwheat flour substitute - Swap sorghum flour for the buckwheat flour, or try oat flour.
- Cornmeal substitute - Try millet flour for the cornmeal.
- To make it dairy-free: Use your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter, and make an easy dairy-free buttermilk by adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar to ½ cup of your favorite plant-based milk.
- Easy buttermilk swap: You can use ¼ cup whole milk and ¼ cup plain yogurt if you don't have buttermilk.
- Rest the batter - Make sure to rest the batter for at least 20 minutes so that the gluten free flour fully hydrates. This will make for a better crumb once baked.
- Try another fruit - Use another stone fruit instead of the peaches! Try plums or nectarines.
Is Buckwheat Gluten Free?
Buckwheat, despite having "wheat" in its name, is naturally gluten-free. It's a wonderful, protein-rich flour that adds a slightly nutty note to bakes and has a distinctive flavor all its own (if you know you know!). You can use buckwheat as your sole gluten flour, though its strong flavor is best, in my opinion, when balanced with another gluten free flour like almond flour or oat flour.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature. It's marvelous with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. You can also cut up more peaches to serve alongside if you've got more ripe fresh peaches on hand. I love a little square of cake at breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.
How to Store Gluten Free Peach Cake
Cake can be kept, wrapped or in an airtight container, on the counter for up to 2 days, or for up to 5 days in the fridge (wrapped or in an airtight container).
More Gluten Free Fruit Recipes
Recipe
Rustic Gluten Free Peach Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buckwheat flour (110 grams)
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon medium grind cornmeal (100 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup well-shaken buttermilk, at room temperature
- 3 cups sliced peaches
Instructions
- Grease an 8x8-inch pan and line it with a square of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy and light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, and finish with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Arrange the peach slices on top. Let cake rest while you heat the oven to 350° F.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until cake is set, a tester comes out clean, and edges are just starting to pull away from the sides. Remove from oven, place on a wire rack, and let cake cool for 30 minutes in the pan before turning out onto the rack to cool fully.
- Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Cake will keep, wrapped, on the counter for 2 days, or 5 days in the fridge.
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