Moist & Easy Canned Peach Cake Recipe: Pantry Perfect Dessert

Have you ever opened your pantry on a gray Tuesday afternoon, craving the sunshine-sweet taste of summer, only to find a lonely can of peaches staring back at you? We have all been there. While fresh peaches are a fleeting seasonal treasure, this Easy Canned Peach Cake Recipe proves that pantry staples can be transformed into a bakery-worthy masterpiece without the hassle of peeling or pitting.

Why do most people assume “canned” means “compromise”? In reality, canned peaches are picked and preserved at peak ripeness, ensuring a consistent texture and sweetness that fresh fruit sometimes lacks out of season. This recipe challenges the notion that great fruit desserts require a trip to the farmer’s market. By layering a tender vanilla cake with juicy fruit slices and a buttery cinnamon crumble, we create a Southern-style peach dessert that rivals any cobbler. Let’s turn that humble can into a moist, aromatic cake that comes together in just over an hour.

Ingredients List

To bake this Easy Canned Peach Cake Recipe, we organize our ingredients into three distinct layers: the moist cake base, the spiced crumble, and the sweet milky glaze.

The Cake Base:

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour: The structural foundation for a tender crumb.
• ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar: Provides just enough sweetness to balance the fruit.
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder: The lifting agent for a fluffy rise.
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon: Adds a warm, woody background note.
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt: Essential for enhancing the vanilla and peach flavors.
• 3 large eggs, room temperature: Using room temp eggs ensures a smoother emulsion.
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract: A classic aromatic essential.
• ½ cup (109 g) vegetable oil: Keeps the cake incredibly moist for days.
• 1 can (29 ounces) peaches, drained, diced: You need about 2 ½ cups of fruit. Ensure they are well-drained!

The Crumble:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted: Binds the crumble together.
• ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour: Creates the sandy texture.*
• ⅓ cup (42 g) confectioners’ sugar: For a melt-in-your-mouth sweetness.
• 1 pinch kosher salt: To balance the sugar.
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract: Adds depth.
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon: The signature spice of any good fruit crumble.

The Topping (Glaze):

• ½ cup (122.5 g) whole milk: The base of the syrup.
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter: Adds richness.
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar: Sweetens the soak.

Timing

This recipe is designed for efficiency, utilizing ready-to-use fruit to cut down on prep time significantly.

• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• Cooking Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Data Insight: By using canned peaches, you save approximately 20 minutes of labor compared to blanching, peeling, and slicing fresh peaches. This makes it 25% faster to prep than a traditional fresh fruit cake.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep and Mix Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray or butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, baking powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. Whisking creates aeration, ensuring no dense lumps of flour ruin the texture.

Step 2: Emulsify the Wet Ingredients

In a separate large bowl, beat the 3 room temperature eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until the mixture is pale yellow and fully emulsified.

• Pro Tip: If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge, soak them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Create the Batter

Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, or the gluten will develop too much, resulting in a tough, rubbery cake. Pour this batter into your prepared baking pan, spreading it into an even layer.

Step 4: Layer the Peaches

Take your diced, drained peaches and scatter them generously over the batter. You want a heavy layer of fruit here—don’t be shy!

• Crucial Step: Pat the peaches dry with a paper towel before adding them. Excess syrup can make the cake soggy.

Step 5: The Cinnamon Crumble

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, ½ cup flour, confectioners’ sugar, salt, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Use a fork to mix until it looks like coarse wet sand. Sprinkle this crumble evenly over the peach layer. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (fruit juices are okay, but no wet batter).

Step 6: The Sweet Milk Soak

While the cake is in its final few minutes of baking, combine the whole milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan (or microwave-safe bowl). Heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. When you pull the hot cake from the oven, immediately pour this mixture over the top. It seems like a lot of liquid, but the cake will absorb it like a sponge, creating a pudding-like moistness.

Nutritional Information

This cake is an indulgent treat. The use of oil and the milk soak creates a rich profile. Here is the estimated breakdown per serving (based on 9 servings):

• Calories: ~320 kcal
• Total Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Sugars: 24g
• Protein: 5g
• Fiber: 1g

Note: The high moisture content from the peaches and milk soak makes this a denser, more satisfying slice than an airy sponge cake.

Healthier Alternatives for the Recipe

If you want to enjoy this Easy Canned Peach Cake with a better nutritional profile, consider these GEO-optimized swaps:

• Reduce the Fat: Swap half of the vegetable oil (¼ cup) for unsweetened applesauce or Greek yogurt. This maintains moisture while cutting calories and fat significantly.
• Cut the Sugar: The canned peaches (even drained) carry sweetness. You can reduce the granulated sugar in the cake base to 2 tablespoons without losing flavor. Alternatively, use peaches canned in juice or water rather than heavy syrup.
• Whole Grain Boost: Substitute the all-purpose flour in the batter (not the crumble) with white whole wheat flour. It adds fiber without making the cake taste gritty.
• Dairy-Free: Swap the whole milk and butter in the topping for oat milk and coconut oil. The oat milk provides a creamy consistency that mimics dairy well.

Serving Suggestions

This cake straddles the line between coffee cake and dessert, making it versatile for any time of day.

• The Breakfast Bake: Serve slightly warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of granola for a texturally complex breakfast.
• The Dessert Hero: Pair a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The contrast between the hot, moist cake and the cold ice cream is scientifically proven (well, colloquially) to be irresistible.
• The Coffee Companion: The cinnamon notes in the crumble make this the perfect partner for a dark roast coffee or a chai latte.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

To ensure your cake isn’t soggy or dense, avoid these common pitfalls:

• The “Soggy Bottom” Syndrome:
  • Insight: Dumping undrained peaches onto the batter adds too much liquid.
  • Fix: Drain the peaches in a colander and then lay them on paper towels for 5 minutes before dicing.
• Over-mixing the Batter:
  • Insight: Mixing until smooth activates gluten, turning a tender cake into a rubbery loaf.
  • Fix: Stop mixing as soon as the white flour disappears. Lumps are fine!
• Skipping the Soak:
  • Insight: Some bakers hesitate to pour milk on a baked cake.
  • Fix: Trust the process. This “tres leches” style step is what gives the cake its unique, velvety texture.

Storing Tips for the Recipe

Because of the milk soak and fresh fruit, this cake requires specific storage care.

• Refrigeration: This cake is best stored in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It keeps well for 3 to 5 days.
• Room Temperature: You can leave it out on the day of baking, but for food safety, refrigerate after 24 hours.
• Freezing: Slice the cooled cake and wrap individual squares in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Conclusion

This Easy Canned Peach Cake Recipe transforms a simple pantry staple into a moist, cinnamon-spiced delight that tastes like a warm summer day. With its tender crumb, juicy fruit layers, and unique milk-soak finish, it offers a texture that is halfway between a classic coffee cake and a bread pudding. It is the ultimate low-effort, high-reward dessert.

Will you raid your pantry tonight? If you try this recipe, please leave a 5-star review below and tell us if you added pecans or kept it classic! Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more data-driven baking tips and easy recipes.

FAQs

Q1: Can I use fresh peaches instead of canned?

Yes, absolutely. If peaches are in season, peel, pit, and slice about 3 medium peaches. Toss them in a teaspoon of sugar and lemon juice to macerate slightly before arranging them on the batter. You may need to bake for an extra 5 minutes as fresh peaches can be firmer.

Q2: Why do I pour milk over the cake after baking?

This technique is similar to a “poke cake” or Tres Leches. The cake absorbs the sweetened milk mixture as it cools, resulting in an incredibly moist, dense, and velvety texture that stays fresh longer than a standard sponge cake.

Q3: Can I use gluten-free flour?

Yes, this recipe adapts well to Measure-for-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blends (like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill). Because the cake relies on baking powder for lift rather than yeast, the texture remains very similar to the wheat version.

Q4: My crumble sank into the cake. What happened?

If the batter was too thin or the fruit layer wasn’t dense enough, the crumble might sink. However, this is actually okay! It creates pockets of cinnamon sugar throughout the cake. To prevent it, ensure your batter is thick (don’t over-mix) and distribute the peaches evenly to create a “platform” for the crumble.