Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the Peach Filling
- Add the 700 g (about 5 cups) peaches, 70 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar, 30 g (2½ tablespoons) brown sugar, 10 g (2 teaspoons) lemon juice, and 2 g (¼ teaspoon) kosher salt to a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are tender but still hold their shape, about 10–15 minutes. The peaches will release quite a bit of liquid as they cook.
- If there is a lot of thin liquid surrounding the peaches once they are tender, carefully spoon or pour off some of the excess. You want enough liquid remaining to generously coat the peaches and create a saucy filling, but the peaches should not be swimming in juice. Don't continue cooking just to evaporate all of the excess liquid, or the peaches can become too soft.
- Stir together the 6 g (2 teaspoons) cornstarch and 6 g (1¼ teaspoons) cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the peaches and cook for another 60–90 seconds, until thick and glossy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract.
- Transfer the filling to a bowl and allow it to cool completely. You'll use 100 g (about ⅓ cup) in the cake, 200 g (about ⅔ cup) between the cake and gooey layers, and 150 g (about ½ cup) for serving.
Brown the Butter
- Add 85 g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter to a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, as the butter melts and foams. Continue cooking until the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown and the butter smells toasted and nutty.
- Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl, scraping in all of the browned milk solids. Cool for 10–15 minutes.
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together 90 g (¾ cup) all-purpose flour, 3 g (¾ teaspoon) baking powder, 1.5 g (¼ teaspoon) kosher salt, and 2 g (¾ teaspoon) cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with 115 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar.
- Whisk in the 1 large egg, 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract, and ⅛ teaspoon almond extract until smooth.
- Whisk in 45 g (3 tablespoons) whole milk.
- Fold in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Dollop 100 g (about ⅓ cup) peach filling evenly over the top. Do not swirl the peaches into the batter.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the cake is mostly set with a slight jiggle remaining in the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool slightly while you make the gooey butter layer. Keep the oven at 350°F (177°C).
Make the Gooey Butter Layer
- While the cake layer is cooling, whisk together 140 g (10 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter and 165 g (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar.
- Whisk in 2 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk until smooth.
- Whisk in 10 g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract.
- Add 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar, 45 g (⅜ cup) all-purpose flour, and 1.5 g (¼ teaspoon) kosher salt and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in 90 g (6 tablespoons) heavy cream until smooth and pourable.
Assemble and Bake
- Spread 200 g (about ⅔ cup) peach filling evenly over the slightly cooled cake layer.
- Pour the gooey butter mixture evenly over the peaches. The mixture is fairly liquid, so there is no need to smooth the top.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 40–48 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center is mostly set with a slight jiggle remaining.
- Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. For serving the cake warm and gooey, allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. Cool longer if you prefer cleaner, more structured slices.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar before cutting.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream and the reserved peach filling spooned over the top.
Notes
Use fresh, ripe peaches. Choose peaches that are ripe and flavorful but still firm enough to dice. Extremely soft peaches will break down much more quickly while cooking.
Don't worry about an exact finished weight for the peach filling. Fresh peaches vary significantly in water content. Cook the mixture until the fruit is tender and the surrounding liquid has become thick and syrupy rather than trying to reduce it to a specific weight.
Add the vanilla after cooking. Removing the peaches from the heat before adding the vanilla preserves more of its flavor.
Don't swirl the first peach layer. Simply dollop the 100 g (about ⅓ cup) filling across the cake batter. The peaches will naturally settle into the cake as it bakes.
Give the cake layer a few minutes to cool. Make the gooey butter layer while the partially baked cake is sitting out of the oven. Pouring the topping onto the cake immediately can cause the layers to seep together rather than remaining distinct.
Don't overbake. Gooey butter cake isn't supposed to look completely firm when it leaves the oven. The center should be mostly set but retain a slight jiggle.
Serve it warm. For the ultimate gooey texture, let the finished cake cool for about 30 minutes, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve with vanilla ice cream and extra peach filling.