The Best Gluten-Free Peach Cake Recipe with Spiced Peach Filling

Finding a moist, delicious, and affordable gluten-free cake for birthdays, anniversaries, or any occasion can be challenging. That is why I like to bake cakes myself. We’ve shared many of them here including the best ever gluten-free raspberry white chocolate cake recipe, a scrumptious gluten-free chocolate mocha layer cake, Gluten-Free Ricotta Rice Cake, and a Gluten-Free Peach Zucchini Cake. Today we are adding another celebration cake to this collection with our best gluten-free peach cake recipe with spiced peach filling and vanilla buttercream.

This gluten-free peach cake recipe is perfect any time of year, as you can use frozen peaches – which I have. Using frozen peaches does save you time, as they don’t have to be blanched. And as frozen peaches are picked at the height of ripeness, you still get quality fruit. Though, when you have beautiful fresh, ripe peaches, the few extra minutes to blanch them, is well worth the effort.

This cake recipe might seem daunting with all it’s detailed steps, but it is easier to make if you bake the cakes and make the filling ahead of time.

The Best Gluten-Free Peach Cake Recipe with Spiced Peach Filling

Ingredients:

For The Gluten-Free Peach Cake

• 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend – I used Cup-4-Cup (the recipe also works well with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour)*

Note: Both of these flours contain xantham gum. Therefore, I didn't have to add it to the recipe.

• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chopped frozen peaches or blanched, peeled, pitted chopped fresh peaches
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use 2/3 cup regular milk and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar, and let sit for 5 minutes to "curdle."

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon extract – to keep cake lighter in colour- if using traditional ground cinnamon use 1/2 teaspoon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For The Spiced Peach Filling

• 4 cups fresh or frozen peaches, (about 6 fresh peaches, without skin on)-chopped. I have used frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter

For The Cake Soak

• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 1/2 Cup of Water
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For The Vanilla Buttercream

• 1kg icing sugar (8 cups)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
For The Gluten-Free Peach Cake

• Prepare your peaches.
• If using fresh, put a pot of water on to boil. Then wash your peaches and cut a small X on the bottom. Place in the boiling water for up to a minute, or until the skin starts to wrinkle. Remove from water and place in strainer to cool. You can place them into an ice bath to speed up the cooling process. Peel off the skin, remove the pit and dice.
• If using frozen peaches, allow them to thaw, then dice.
• When using the souring milk process instead of buttermilk, do this now, so it can sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Mix the milk and white vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, pour in your flour.
• Remove 4 tbs of flour from the bowl and return it to the bag of flour.
• To the bowl of flour add 4tbs tablespoons of cornstarch

Tip: By removing 4 tablespoons of flour and adding in the cornstarch, you are making gluten-free cake flour. This will give you a lighter and better cake.

• Add other dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, and salt) to the bowl.

Tip: If you are using ground cinnamon add it in.

• Whisk well to combine and aerate the flour, with a whisk. You do not want any clumps or lumps in the flour. Whisking takes the place of sifting the flour mixture.
• In a separate larger bowl, add 3 eggs, oil, cinnamon extract and both sugars.
• Beat with a hand or stand mixer until the mixture is light and ribbony.

Tip: Add extract to wet, but add dry cinnamon to dry ingredients

• Add the buttermilk (or sour milk mixture) and the flour to the egg and sugar mixture. You want to alternate flour, milk, flour, milk, flour.
• Beat the mixture well, so it is completely combined.
• Add 1 cup packed diced peaches to the empty flour bowl, and toss with 1 tsp flour. You want to toss your peaches with flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
• Using a spatula, fold the peaches into the batter.
• Let batter sit 30 min
• While the batter sits, prepare your pans
• Prepare two 8-inch cake pans
• Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan, but not up the sides, or use pre-cut parchment circles
• Liberally butter the bottom and sides of the pans.
• Place the parchment circles at the bottom of each pan
• Butte the parchment paper and set aside
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Divide batter evenly between the pans

Tip: Use a spoon or spatula to make the top of the cake as flat as possible. Gluten-free batters do not pour as evenly as regular batters, so they don't level themselves. The flatter you can make the top, the less likely it will be that you have to trim the top of the cake to get it flat.

• Bake the cake for 25-35 minutes

Tip: Bake the cake for 15 minutes, and then rotate them in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes more. Test the cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean the cake is done, if not bake for 10 more minutes. Check again and bake in 10-minute intervals, until the toothpick comes out clean. As ovens differ, baking times vary.

• After the cakes are baked, cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes.
• Remove cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack or cutting boards.

Tip: If you are making the cake in advance, wrap them in parchment paper, plastic wrap and then a plastic bag and place them flat, in the freezer. Remove from the freezer when you are ready to decorate the cake- for the best result, do this the day before you need the cake. This is better than placing the cakes in the fridge, as the fridge dries the cakes out, and the freezer stops that from happening.

For The Spiced Peach Filling

• Chop the peaches (after blanching if you are using fresh) and add to a small pot
• Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch to the peaches in the pot
• Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the peaches are softened and the sauce has thickened
• Add in the butter, and mix in well.
• Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature in a heatproof bowl
• Place the filling in an air-tight container, once the mixture cools completely
• Store in fridge

Tip: You can make the filling ahead of time. Remove it from the fridge a minimum of 10 minutes before using, or allow it to come to room temperature so you can spread it well.

Tip: If you have extra filling, you can serve it on the side of the cake or put it on vanilla ice cream for a decedent experience.

For The Cake Soak

• Make the simple syrup cake soak when you are ready to assemble the cake
• In a saucepan, mix the water, sugar, and extract
• Allow the sugar to dissolve, and the mixture has been reduced by 1/3
• Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool slightly
• Using a pastry brush, brush the soak over the top and sides of the cakes

Tip: Gluten-free cakes can seem drier than traditional cakes. Adding a soak makes a big difference in the moisture of the cake.

For The Vanilla Buttercream

• In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy
• Add salt, vanillas, and milk, and mix again
• Gradually, add the icing sugar to the butter, scraping down the bowl at the halfway mark
• Beat until well combined and very smooth and fluffy. This can take 6-8 minutes or slightly longer, but it’s well worth the effort
• You want the icing to be fluffy and able to be piped if needed

Tip: If the mixture seems too dry, you can add in 1 teaspoon of milk or cream (at the time) making sure it doesn’t get too soft. If the mixture seems too wet or soft, add in more icing sugar.

To Assemble The Cake

• Once the cakes are brushed with the cake soak, allow them to sit for a few minutes.
• Place the bottom layer on your cake plate or board.
• Frost a thin layer of buttercream on the bottom of the cake, to ensure that the cake doesn’t move around.
• Using a piping bag without a tip in it, (just cut a hole at the bottom of the bag) pipe a ring of icing around the edge of the cake- this is called a dam, so the spiced peach filling does not leak out.
• Place roughly 3/4 of the filling on the inside the dam, and smooth- do not overfill.
• Invert the top cake layer so the bottom of the cake round is the top of the cake- this will give you a flat top of the cake.
• Frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream- this is your crumb coat so that any crumbs get trapped in that layer, and not in the final outer layer. You can place the cake in the fridge; to let it harden.
• Then frost the cake and decorate as you like. I dyed some buttercream peach and piped a border.
• I decorated the center of the cake with 2 fresh peaches that I blanched and then sliced into thin segments to fan on the top.

This gluten-free peach cake recipe with spiced peach filling and vanilla buttercream is definitely a showstopper and one that everyone will enjoy, no matter if they are gluten-free or not.

The Best Gluten-Free Peach Cake Recipe with Spiced Peach Filling

Print Recipe/Tips

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

For The Gluten-Free Peach Cake

• 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend – I used Cup-4-Cup (the recipe also works well with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour)*
• Note: Both of these flours contain xantham gum. Therefore, I didn't have to add it to the recipe.
• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped frozen peaches or blanched, peeled, pitted chopped fresh peaches
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use 2/3 cup regular milk and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar, and let sit for 5 minutes to "curdle."
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon extract - to keep cake lighter in colour- if using traditional ground cinnamon use 1/2 teaspoon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For The Spiced Peach Filling

• 4 cups fresh or frozen peaches, (about 6 fresh peaches, without skin on)-chopped. I have used frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter

For The Cake Soak

• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 1/2 Cup of Water
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For The Vanilla Buttercream

• 1kg icing sugar (8 cups)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon milk

INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS

For The Gluten-Free Peach Cake

• Prepare your peaches.
• If using fresh, put a pot of water on to boil. Then wash your peaches and cut a small X on the bottom. Place in the boiling water for up to a minute, or until the skin starts to wrinkle. Remove from water and place in strainer to cool. You can place them into an ice bath to speed up the cooling process. Peel off the skin, remove the pit and dice.
• If using frozen peaches, allow them to thaw, then dice.
• When using the souring milk process instead of buttermilk, do this now, so it can sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Mix the milk and white vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, pour in your flour.
• Remove 4 tbs of flour from the bowl and return it to the bag of flour.
• To the bowl of flour add 4tbs tablespoons of cornstarch
• Tip: By removing 4 tablespoons of flour and adding in the cornstarch, you are making gluten-free cake flour. This will give you a lighter and better cake.
• Add other dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, and salt) to the bowl.
• Tip: If you are using ground cinnamon add it in.
• Whisk well to combine and aerate the flour, with a whisk. You do not want any clumps or lumps in the flour. Whisking takes the place of sifting the flour mixture.
• In a separate larger bowl, add 3 eggs, oil, cinnamon extract and both sugars.
• Beat with a hand or stand mixer until the mixture is light and ribbony.
• Tip: Add extract to wet, but add dry cinnamon to dry ingredients
• Add the buttermilk (or sour milk mixture) and the flour to the egg and sugar mixture. You want to alternate flour, milk, flour, milk, flour.
• Beat the mixture well, so it is completely combined.
• Add 1 cup packed diced peaches to the empty flour bowl, and toss with 1 tsp flour. You want to toss your peaches with flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
• Using a spatula, fold the peaches into the batter.
• Let batter sit 30 min
• While the batter sits, prepare your pans
• Prepare two 8-inch cake pans
• Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan, but not up the sides, or use pre-cut parchment circles
• Liberally butter the bottom and sides of the pans.
• Place the parchment circles at the bottom of each pan
• Butte the parchment paper and set aside
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Divide batter evenly between the pans
• Tip: Use a spoon or spatula to make the top of the cake as flat as possible. Gluten-free batters do not pour as evenly as regular batters, so they don't level themselves. The flatter you can make the top, the less likely it will be that you have to trim the top of the cake to get it flat.
• Bake the cake for 25-35 minutes
• Tip: Bake the cake for 15 minutes, and then rotate them in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes more. Test the cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean the cake is done, if not bake for 10 more minutes. Check again and bake in 10-minute intervals, until the toothpick comes out clean. As ovens differ, baking times vary.
• After the cakes are baked, cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes.
• Remove cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack or cutting boards.
• Tip: If you are making the cake in advance, wrap them in parchment paper, plastic wrap and then a plastic bag and place them flat, in the freezer. Remove from the freezer when you are ready to decorate the cake- for the best result, do this the day before you need the cake. This is better than placing the cakes in the fridge, as the fridge dries the cakes out, and the freezer stops that from happening.

For The Spiced Peach Filling

• Chop the peaches (after blanching if you are using fresh) and add to a small pot
• Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch to the peaches in the pot
• Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the peaches are softened and the sauce has thickened
• Add in the butter, and mix in well.
• Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature in a heatproof bowl
• Place the filling in an air-tight container, once the mixture cools completely
• Store in fridge
• Tip: You can make the filling ahead of time. Remove it from the fridge a minimum of 10 minutes before using, or allow it to come to room temperature so you can spread it well.
• Tip: If you have extra filling, you can serve it on the side of the cake or put it on vanilla ice cream for a decedent experience.

For The Cake Soak

• Make the simple syrup cake soak when you are ready to assemble the cake
• In a saucepan, mix the water, sugar, and extract
• Allow the sugar to dissolve, and the mixture has been reduced by 1/3
• Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool slightly
• Using a pastry brush, brush the soak over the top and sides of the cakes
• Tip: Gluten-free cakes can seem drier than traditional cakes. Adding a soak makes a big difference in the moisture of the cake.

For The Vanilla Buttercream

• In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy
• Add salt, vanillas, and milk, and mix again
• Gradually, add the icing sugar to the butter, scraping down the bowl at the halfway mark
• Beat until well combined and very smooth and fluffy. This can take 6-8 minutes or slightly longer, but it’s well worth the effort
• You want the icing to be fluffy and able to be piped if needed
• Tip: If the mixture seems too dry, you can add in 1 teaspoon of milk or cream (at the time) making sure it doesn’t get too soft. If the mixture seems too wet or soft, add in more icing sugar.

To Assemble The Cake

• Once the cakes are brushed with the cake soak, allow them to sit for a few minutes.
• Place the bottom layer on your cake plate or board.
• Frost a thin layer of buttercream on the bottom of the cake, to ensure that the cake doesn’t move around.
• Using a piping bag without a tip in it, (just cut a hole at the bottom of the bag) pipe a ring of icing around the edge of the cake- this is called a dam, so the spiced peach filling does not leak out.
• Place roughly 3/4 of the filling on the inside the dam, and smooth- do not overfill.
• Invert the top cake layer so the bottom of the cake round is the top of the cake- this will give you a flat top of the cake.
• Frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream- this is your crumb coat so that any crumbs get trapped in that layer, and not in the final outer layer. You can place the cake in the fridge; to let it harden.
• Then frost the cake and decorate as you like. I dyed some buttercream peach and piped a border.
• I decorated the center of the cake with 2 fresh peaches that I blanched and then sliced into thin segments to fan on the top.

Did You Try This Recipe or These Tips?

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