German Peach Kuchen
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German Peach Kuchen is a favorite late-season, early-September treat. Moist and dense with the warm flavors of spiced cinnamon and peaches, it’s a cake you’ll return to again and again.
Made with fresh or canned peaches, it is the quintessential summer dessert, especially when topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Overview
This German Peach Kuchen is a simple yet utterly delicious cake using fresh peaches.
- Recipe time: 15 minutes for prep, 40 minutes for baking = 55 Minutes
- Kitchen Tools: 8-inch Cake Pan (or tart pan)
- Peaches: Both fresh fruit and frozen peach slices work just fine.
What is Peach Kuchen?
I mentioned this in our German Apple Kuchen recipe, but it bears repeating:
“Kuchen is part of a 400-year-old “Kaffee and Kuchen” (or Coffee and Cake) tradition, much like teatime in Great Britain. On Sundays, between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m., many Germans gather with friends and family to enjoy cakes, kuchens, and other confections, over a hot cup of coffee or tea.”
I also said that every German needs a great kuchen recipe — and that the Apple Kuchen was mine. I’m revising that statement. They also need a great Peach Kuchen recipe too!
Even if you’re not German.
German Peach Kuchen Ingredients
This simple kuchen is easy to make with a handful of ingredients. You will find measurements in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick list of what you need:
- Butter: I prefer salted butter for flavor, but unsalted butter works well too. Be sure it is softened to room temperature
- Peach Slices: Peel fresh peaches and slice thinly. Or, you can also use frozen peaches.
- All-purpose flour
- Milk or cream
- Sugar: To enhance the warm spices and peach flavors.
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
How to Make German Peach Kuchen
The recipe card below contains step-by-step kuchen instructions, but here is a quick overview of how easy this cake is.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and coating an 8-inch cake pan or 8-inch springform pan with baking spray or butter.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Cream the butter and sugar, then add the milk, egg, and vanilla extract; mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Mix the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder into the cake batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, arrange the peaches in concentric circles, and press them into the dough.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until nicely browned and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Bring to room temperature before serving and dust with powdered sugar. This peach cake is delicious a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
For variation, instead of dusting the top of the cake with powdered sugar, you can also sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top!
German Kuchen
Germany is dotted with amazing bakeries and “confiseries” (German for sweet shop) like this Gmeiner and Cafe in the Upper Rhine Valley of Appenweier, near where part of my family originated. The cakes and treats in the windows are incredibly endearing and scrumptious.
But when you can’t travel to Germany or even Europe, this kuchen can take you there. It has become my go-to dessert recipe in late summer.
Incredibly simple to make with only a handful of pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand.
And so, so pretty. Don’t pretty desserts just taste better?
In fact, this would be a great candidate for Afternoon Tea.
But no matter where you serve it—be that a potluck, picnic, patio dining, Sunday morning coffee, or afternoon tea—you will love this German Peach Kuchen!
More Peach Dessert Recipes
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German Peach Kuchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk or cream
- large egg
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2-3 cups fresh peaches peeled and sliced thinly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray 8-inch cake, tart, or springform pan with non-stick spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the milk or cream, egg, and vanilla extract; mix until thoroughly combined. Finally, add the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder; mix, but do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough into the prepared pan, pushing the dough slightly up the edges. Arrange the peaches in concentric circles and press into the dough.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until nicely browned and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve!
Notes
Cast Iron Skillet
I recently heard from a sweet reader that she wanted to make this cake in a cast-iron skillet lined in parchment paper, because she doesn’t like to use cooking spray. When testing this recipe in a parchment-lined skillet, I found that first of all, it worked beautifully. And secondly, I needed to increase the cooking time by about 5 minutes. Otherwise, no changes were needed.Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I love this!