Fried Peach Shortcake tastes just as good as it sounds! Fresh summer peaches are sliced and skillet-fried in butter and spices, then sandwiched between tender wedges of shortcake.
Summer is slipping by too quickly! And it’s been too long since I last posted here. Fall projects are ramping up and have taken priority. But the good news is that I’ll have all kinds of delicious things to share with you this autumn. Although I look forward to all things fall baking, I’m still enjoying all the things summer gives us. A good peach crop is one of the best things about summer, if you ask me. This shortcake is a wonderful and simple way to use them. (Here’s another favorite.)
Nearly everybody knows about fried apples – but fried peaches? They are totally a thing! And, they might be even better than their well-known counterpart.
If you find yourself at the grocery store examining fresh peaches for this recipe, look for freestone peaches. The name says it all – the pits are easy to remove from the fruit.
If you’re new to peeling peaches, then be sure to check out my article for Food.com – How to Peel Peaches 3 Ways.
This recipe takes about 6 cups of sliced peaches. I’d estimate this at about 8 medium-sized peaches. You could also use frozen peaches (thawed) if you have them on hand. However you slice them, have them prepped ahead of time and tossed with a tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning.
For the cake, whisk together the few dry ingredients called for, and then add heavy cream. Heavy cream has everything needed to bring this dough together. Namely, fat and flavor. Mix until you have a sticky dough.
Press the dough into an 8×8-inch pan. Wet your hands first, and the dough won’t stick to them. While the shortcake bakes, fry the peaches.
You’ll simply put all of the ingredients in the pan at once, stir, and then cook until the peaches are fork tender.
Mmmm. These are pretty darn perfect warm from the stove top. The fried peaches alone are a fine dessert. If you have a tablespoon of bourbon on hand, it wouldn’t hurt anything to add it right after you pull them off the heat.
Slice the cake into portions in the pan, or you could turn it out on a wire rack like I did. I always seem to ruin the first piece of cake getting it out of the pan, so this was better for me.
Cut twice in each direction with light sawing motions with a serrated knife for 9 servings.
To finish, split each cake and fill with fried peaches. Then spoon over more fried peaches. Shortcake wouldn’t be complete without a creamy element, so top each warm serving with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a mountain of freshly whipped cream.
I hope everyone has had a happy and safe summer so far! Let’s enjoy every last little bit of it.
(P.S. The skillets were a birthday gift, and can be found at this link.)
Fried Peach Shortcake
Equipment
- 8×8 inch square pan
Ingredients
Shortcake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Fried peaches
- 6 cups fresh peaches sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 8 medium)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar tightly packed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
Shortcake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat an 8×8 square baking pan with flour-based baking spray (or grease and flour pan).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add the heavy cream. Stir until thick, slightly sticky dough is formed.
- Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Tamp the sticky dough down using wet hands (so the dough won’t stick to them) or using a rubber spatula coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden, or when a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean. If the cake is done and still pale on top, place it under the broiler for 2 minutes or until golden.
- Gently turn the cake out from the pan to a wire rack to cool. The cake will be tender, so be careful not to break it. Slice the cake into 9 portions, cutting it twice in both directions. Use a serrated knife and light sawing motions for the neatest slices.
Fried peaches
- Place all of the fried peach ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir together. Set over medium heat and cook until the butter melts. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the peaches are fork tender and a syrupy sauce forms, about 6-8 minutes.
Assemble
- Split a shortcake piece horizontally and place on a serving plate or bowl. Add a big spoonful of fried peaches between the cakes. Top the cake with another spoonful of the warm peach mixture. Top with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired. Repeat with remaining peaches and cakes.
What a beautiful cake and it looks stunning! I will try it soon and hope it turns good. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe.