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This Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting can be made year-round with fresh, frozen, or canned peaches. It’s easy to make with a box of cake mix, jello powder, and sliced peaches. The rich brown sugar frosting on top tastes like a whipped caramel icing, making every bite an indulgent treat.

A square piece of peach cake with brown sugar frosting on a plate.

Peach Cake Recipe

Sometimes you just want to bake an easy dessert. And this easy peach cake recipe starts with a box of cake mix and a packet of jello, just like my favorite strawberry jello cake.

Using a few shortcuts, like boxed ingredients, means the cake is super quick to whip up.

Which gives YOU more time to devote to the frosting. And the brown sugar frosting on top of this peach cake is ultra rich, super unique, and tastes like a sort of whipped caramel icing.

Top view of brown sugar peach cake on a plate.

Brown Sugar Peach Cake

Since peaches aren’t naturally very sweet, the brown sugar frosting provides added sweetness and a real decadence to this peach cake.

I love using a brown sugar glaze to top fruit-filled cakes like my apple sheet cake.

The main difference for this brown sugar frosting is that I swapped milk for heavy cream. Then I whipped it up with a hand mixer to make it lighter, not only in color, but texture. It still creates a crust once is dries on top, which makes for a fun texture.

NOTE: The frosting is much sweeter than the cake, and slightly overpowering, but still works well with the peaches.

Fork full of peach cake with brown sugar frosting taken out of a slice on a plate.

Ingredients for the Cake

Labeled ingredients for peach cake recipe.

To make this peach cake with brown sugar frosting you will need:

  • Yellow Cake Mix – white cake mix would work well too.
  • Peach Gelatin (aka Jello) – just the dry powder.
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Oil – canola, vegetable, or a light tasting olive oil.
  • Water – or peach nectar, for more peach flavor.
  • Large Eggs
  • Peaches – fresh, frozen, or canned (*See notes.)

How to Make Peach Cake with a Cake Mix

Peach Cake Recipe Steps 1-4.
  1. Whisk together the yellow cake mix, peach gelatin powder, and flour in a large bowl.
  2. Mix in the oil, water, and eggs one at time.
  3. Pour cake batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
  4. Place bite-sized pieces of peaches evenly over the cake batter.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean, or with a few moist crumbs. The top will be a nice golden brown color. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the Brown Sugar Frosting

Labeled ingredients for brown sugar frosting.

For the brown sugar frosting you will need:

  • Butter – Use salted butter, or add salt to help with the sweetness of the frosting.
  • Light Brown Sugar
  • Heavy Cream
  • Vanilla

How to Make the Frosting

Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe Steps 1-2.
Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe Steps 3-5.
  1. Melt the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a large 2-3 QT saucepan.
  2. Stir occasionally until mixture comes to a full boil. Then set a timer and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  3. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Mixture will be quite thin.
  4. Place the pan of frosting inside a bowl of ice water. Stir until the frosting cools to room temperature and thickens like caramel. (*See photos.)
  5. Use a hand mixer to beat the brown sugar frosting for 5-6 minutes, until thicker and lighter in color, but still pourable.

Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Brown sugar frosting poured on top of a freshly baked peach cake.

Pour the brown sugar frosting over the cooled peach cake and spread evenly with a spatula.

You can cut and serve this cake immediately if you don’t mind the frosting slightly dripping off of each piece. Or you can let the frosting cool completely to create a crust on top before slicing and serving.

Cover the pan of brown sugar peach cake with foil and store at room temperature (68-72˚F) for up to 2-3 days. You may refrigerate the cake to make it last up to 5 days.

A square piece of peach cake with brown sugar frosting on a plate.

How to Make it with Different Peaches

Depending on seasonality and access to ingredients, you may use fresh, frozen, or canned peaches. Here’s how:

  • Fresh Peaches – Peel, core, and slice the peaches. Then cut into thirds, or bite-size chunks.
  • Frozen Peaches – Cut and use from frozen. Bake time will most likely be 5-10 minutes (or so) longer.
  • Canned Peaches – Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Then cut into smaller pieces.
A baked and frosted peach cake inside of a baking pan with sliced peaches on top.

More Peach Desserts

Have a lot of peaches? Try these other peach desserts:

If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!

Fork full of peach cake with brown sugar frosting taken out of a slice on a plate.

Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 15 servings

An easy peach cake made from a boxed cake mix, jello powder, and peaches, topped with a cooked brown sugar frosting.

Ingredients

CAKE:

  • 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
  • 1 (3 oz) small box peach gelatin powder (Jello)
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup oil (canola/vegetable)
  • 1/2 cup water*
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 lb peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped (about 3-4 peaches)

FROSTING:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Whisk together the yellow cake mix, peach gelatin powder, and flour in a large bowl.
  3. Mix in the oil, water, and eggs one at time.
  4. Pour cake batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
  5. Place bite-sized pieces of peaches evenly over the cake batter.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean, or with a few moist crumbs. The top will be a nice golden brown color. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

FOR THE FROSTING:

  1. Melt the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a large 2-3 QT saucepan.
  2. Stir occasionally until mixture comes to a full boil. Then set a timer and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  3. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Mixture will be quite thin.
  4. Place the pan of frosting inside a bowl of ice water. Stir until the frosting cools to room temperature and thickens like caramel. (*See photos.)
  5. Use a hand mixer to beat the brown sugar frosting for 5-6 minutes, until thicker and lighter in color, but still pourable.
  6. Pour the brown sugar frosting over the cooled peach cake and spread evenly with a spatula.

Notes

    • Fresh Peaches – Peel, core, and slice the peaches. Then cut into thirds, or bite-size chunks.
    • Frozen Peaches – Cut and use from frozen. Bake time will most likely be 5-10 minutes (or so) longer.
    • Canned Peaches – Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Then cut into smaller pieces.
    • *Water -- Use peach nectar in place of water to boost the peach flavor. Otherwise it's a very light tasting peach cake.
    • Serving -- You can cut and serve this cake immediately if you don’t mind the frosting slightly dripping off of each piece. Or you can let the frosting cool completely to create a crust on top before slicing and serving.
    • Storage -- Cover the pan of brown sugar peach cake with foil and store at room temperature (68-72˚F) for up to 2-3 days. You may refrigerate the cake to make it last up to 5 days.

      • NOTE: The frosting is much sweeter than the cake, and slightly overpowering, but still works well with the peaches.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 287mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 1gSugar: 43gProtein: 4g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.

author: Amber Brady / Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes, Cupcakes and Frosting
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