Baltimore Peach Cake

Cake and bread fans alike will love Chef John's take on this Baltimore peach cake. It's a yeasted German-style cake showcasing summer's best peaches.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 251 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
• 0.33333334326744 cup white sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 0.25 cup melted butter
• 0.33333334326744 cup apricot preserves
• 1.25 cups warm milk (no hotter than 100 degrees F (38 degrees C))
• 3.5 ripe peaches

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Combine sugar and yeast in a bowl. Pour in milk, butter, and egg. Whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Stir in flour, a portion at a time, until mostly moistened, adding more if dough is too wet. Add salt and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together.

Step 3

Cover dough with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Step 4

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Split peaches in half along the seam and slice halves into quarters, then eighths.

Step 5

Transfer dough into the buttered 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.

Step 6

Arrange peach slices onto dough, pressing them in lightly. Drizzle remaining butter on top. Sprinkle Demerara sugar over peaches.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into cake, not through a peach, comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Step 8

Heat apricot preserves up with a splash of water and brush glaze over the top of cake. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.