Peach Shortcake
Move over strawberry shortcake! When late summer rolls around, it’s the perfect time for this old fashioned Peach Shortcake.
Hello, summer! Peach Shortcake is the perfect warm weather treat: tender shortcake, lightly sweetened fresh peaches, and homemade whipped cream piled on top.
This recipe was adapted from a 1973 newspaper clipping in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It undoubtedly originated well before that, but this recipe is an absolute gem. I don’t know why I never thought to make shortcake with peaches before I saw it! (Bisquick Peach Cobbler or Peach Blueberry Pie are usually my go-tos for a peach dessert.)
These shortcakes perfect for an after-dinner treat on the patio in the late summer. Bring out the shortcakes, peaches, and whipped cream, and let everyone assemble their own. A little milk is nice for drizzling over them, too!
You can also make this recipe with frozen peaches if peaches aren’t in season, or if you don’t feel like peeling fresh peaches. However you serve it, don’t skip that homemade whipped cream on top!
Ingredients
Scroll on down to the recipe card below for a full list of quantities and instructions!
How to make peel peaches
While you can make peach shortcake with unpeeled peaches, I think it tastes best when they’re peeled. To do so easily, we’ll use the same method used to blanch vegetables: plunge them in boiling water then ice water.
Score the skin of the peaches, creating a small “X” on the bottom of each peach with a paring knife.
Place the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, remove and plunge in ice water for two minutes to cool down.
After removing the peaches from the ice water, the skin should slide right off. Remove the skin, slice the peaches, then toss with a little sugar and a tablespoon of water. The peaches will give off some juice while they sit (while the shortcakes are baking).
How to make peach shortcake
Now onto the shortcakes themselves! We’re basically making buttermilk biscuits here.
Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) together, then work in the butter. Make sure the butter is cold for the fluffiest shortcakes. To work in the butter, you can use two forks, a pastry blender, or your hands. The butter should be in pea-sized lumps.
Then, stir in the buttermilk until a dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured countertop, and pat gently into a circle or rectangle, about one-inch in height. Use a biscuit cutter to cut shortcakes out of the dough (dust the biscuit cutter with flour so the dough doesn’t stick to it).
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 15–16 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top.
Let the shortcakes cool for a few minutes, then gently cut them in half (I find a serrated knife to be easiest for this).
While the shortcakes are baking, make the whipped cream by whipping the heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar into soft peaks.
Layer the shortcakes with the peaches and whipped cream. Top with fresh mint for a pop of color, if you’d like.
Make ahead and serving instructions
You can bake the shortcakes a day or two in advance. Keep them sealed in an airtight container until you’re ready to layer them with the whipped cream and peaches.
You can whip the cream up to one day in advance. Store in the refrigerator.
Variations
Add a few shakes of cinnamon and/or nutmeg to the peach mixture.
Don’t have a biscuit cutter? Use a drinking glass. Or cut the shortcakes into squares with a knife like these extra flaky biscuits.
Want to make these with another fruit? Try nectarines, plums, or apricots. And of course, you can certainly make this recipe into a classic strawberry shortcake.
Frozen peaches work just fine in this recipe. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and proceed with the recipe as directed.
📖 Recipe
Peach Shortcake
Ingredients
- 4 peaches, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sliced peaches, granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Work the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers, until the butter is in pea-sized lumps.
- Gently stir in the buttermilk.
- Form the dough into a ball, then roll out to ½ inch thick with a rolling pin. Cut into 3-inch circles. Place the circles on the baking sheet.
- Gently roll any unused dough and repeat the process until all the dough is used.
- Bake for 15–16 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes.
- While the shortcakes are baking, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Split the shortcakes in half. Place bottom half of each shortcake in an individual serving dish. Top with a spoonful of peaches with their juice. Place the top half of the shortcake on top, then top with more peaches and whipped cream. Serve right away.
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