Brown Butter Peach Coffee Cake
A nutty browned butter cake layered with juicy peaches and a thick brown sugar cinnamon streusel, finished with a browned butter vanilla glaze — a make-ahead brunch cake worth setting your alarm early for.
Equipment
- Light-colored saucepan
- 8-inch square baking pan
- Parchment Paper
- Instant-read or probe thermometer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Brown Butter
- 325 g unsalted butter 1⅓ cups + 2 tablespoons
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Streusel
- 140 g all-purpose flour 1 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 120 g light brown sugar packed (⅔ cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom optional but wonderful
- 60-70 g browned butter melted (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon)
Peach Layer
- 400 g peaches about 3 medium, peeled and diced (2⅔ cups diced)
- 15 g flour 2 tablespoons
- 12 g granulated sugar 1 tablespoon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Cake
- 300 g all-purpose flour 2⅓ cups
- 8 g baking powder 2 teaspoons
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 160 g browned butter ¾ cup
- 170 g light brown sugar packed (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 60 g granulated sugar ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 180 g sour cream ¾ cup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1 tablespoon milk if batter seems very thick
Vanilla Glaze
- 115 g powdered sugar 1 cup
- 15 g browned butter 1 tablespoon
- 1-2 tablespoons milk as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Melt the full 325g butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until deeply golden with lots of toasted milk solids. Pour into a bowl and cool until room temperature but still pourable. This yields roughly 265-270g browned butter — 160g for the cake, 60-70g for the streusel, and 15g for the glaze, with a little extra to cover what sticks to the pan.325 g unsalted butter
- Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom for the streusel. Pour in the melted browned butter and mix until large, buttery clumps form. Set aside.140 g all-purpose flour, 120 g light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, 60-70 g browned butter
- Toss the diced peaches with flour, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.400 g peaches, 15 g flour, 12 g granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch salt
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.300 g all-purpose flour, 8 g baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and egg yolk, whisking to combine. Whisk in the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract if using.160 g browned butter, 170 g light brown sugar, 60 g granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, 180 g sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Add milk only if the batter seems very thick.1 tablespoon milk
- Grease and line an 8-inch square pan. Spread half the batter in the pan. Scatter half the peaches over the batter. Sprinkle with one-third of the streusel. Spread the remaining batter over top. Scatter the remaining peaches over the batter. Finish with the remaining streusel.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55-65 minutes, tenting with foil if the streusel browns too quickly. Cake is done when the internal temperature reaches around 205°F.
- Cool for 45 minutes before slicing.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, browned butter, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cake once completely cooled.115 g powdered sugar, 15 g browned butter, 1-2 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch salt
Notes
The browned butter is split three ways. The full 325g batch of butter browns down to roughly 265-270g total — 160g goes into the cake, 60-70g into the streusel, and 15g into the glaze, with a bit extra to cover what sticks to the pan. Weigh it out once cooled so you don't run short.
Bake to temperature, not just time. Because this cake is loaded with two layers of peaches and streusel, an internal temperature of about 205°F is a far more reliable doneness check than a toothpick.
Make ahead: the cake keeps beautifully unglazed at room temperature for a day — add the glaze right before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 661kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 685mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 2gSugar: 57gVitamin A: 1010IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 3mg
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