This gluten-free peach pudding cake is the result of more experiments and makeovers of some of my favorite baked breads and desserts to make them gluten free. In 2014, I learned that I am gluten intolerant, and I felt so much better when I removed gluten from my diet, which was great. The downside was…I stopped baking. Literally, completely stopped. I was in grad school and trying to take care of my family, and the thought of learning how to bake gluten free with unfamiliar flours was a leap too far.
At Christmas, when we do loads of baking, I stuck with wheat flours for my family and I skipped the cookies and other treats, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing given the amount of sugar typically consumed during the holidays. It was another year before I decided to wade in, and I got in over my head. I tried going straight from zero to scratch with mixing gluten-free flours to make bread, and I ended up with failed experiments and loads of expensive flours in the pantry. So I stopped for a while, again.
My first step back in was gluten-free cornbread, which I had started making years ago. Nice and simple to make and comfort food for me. Serve it up with a pot of chili or beans and all is right in my world. Next up was cake. I really dislike wasting ingredients when experiments fail, so I decided to purchase gluten-free mixes for cake. It's not my typical baking plan, and it worked just fine. I now keep boxes on hand in my gluten-free pantry, and I happen to like the King Arthur cake and baking mixes because they are reliable and taste very good.
When I was finally ready to try baking from scratch, I turned to the King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour because of my positive experiences with their products. The flour mix is designed to be a 1:1 swap for wheat flour. I've baked with their recipes for years, so I began to try recipes from their gluten-free archives. I tell you, it's hard to go wrong with their recipes. I adore Bundt cakes, and their gluten-free pumpkin and almond cakes are family favorites. Their recipe for angel food cake is better than any I have ever tasted.
About two years ago, the time finally came when I was ready to go back and try some of my favorite recipes with the Measure for Measure Flour. Some of my recipes need tweaking for best results, which is why you don't see many notes for gluten-free modifications yet, though I'm working through them.
We are very fortunate to have a peach tree in our backyard, and this year the harvest has been fantastic. The peaches are sweet and juicy, and we've enjoyed them for a few weeks. This weekend we sliced and froze 18 pounds of fresh peaches and froze 12 half-pints of peach puree. There's still more peaches in the kitchen and the tree still has ripening fruit waiting for us to pick, and we can't wait. For this dessert, I clean the peaches to remove the fuzz, and then lightly boil them for 30 seconds and put them in an ice bath for another 30 seconds. With just a little pressure and wiggle, the skin slips off and makes it easy to prep them for baking.
This peach pudding cake is very easy to make with just a little hands-on time; the oven does most of the work. It's a variation on our family's blueberry pudding cake and my cherry pudding cake. The peaches release plenty of juice which bubbles through the slightly crispy cake topping and soaks the lower layer of the cake. It's a homey dessert for family and friends, and is delicious served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
[This post is neither sponsored nor endorsed by King Arthur Flour. These are my own opinions based on my experience.]
Recipe Notes
Gluten-free flour absorbs liquids differently and doesn't brown as quickly. You may need to adjust baking time depending on your oven.
Gluten-Free Peach Pudding Cake
Equipment
- 8-inch square baking pan, greased
- 2 medium mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups peaches (sliced, fresh or thawed from frozen)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup lowfat milk (or dairy-free milk)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted, or dairy-free butter)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup boiling water
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.
- In one of the bowls, toss the peaches with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
- In the other bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, ¾ cup sugar, and baking powder. Stir in the milk and melted butter. The batter will be very thick. Spoon over the peaches.
- In the same bowl, stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour the boiling water all over the pan. The water will rise up and pool, but it will combine with the batter as it cooks.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake tests done and is golden and a little crunchy on top. Serve warm with ice cream.
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