Peach Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting.

A simple vanilla sheet cake layered with summer’s sweetest peaches, swirls of raspberry jam, and the most delicious brown butter maple frosting. The cake is soft, lightly sweetened with brown sugar, and filled with sweet peaches in every bite. Finished with fresh raspberries and peach slices, it’s everything you want in a summer cake. Just peachy!

I have been so excited to share this cake all summer. Some of you might remember the layered peach cake I shared back in 2018. I’ve had that recipe tucked away in the back of my mind ever since, always wanting to turn it into an easy sheet cake while keeping all those same flavors.

Just because a recipe is easier doesn’t mean it should have any less flavor.

I waited for those perfect summer peaches—the ones with firm pink and red skin, bright orange flesh, and pits stained the deepest shade of red. The peaches you wait all year for. As we head into August, they’re finally at their best, and this year they’ve been especially sweet.

I could eat peach after peach until my stomach hurts. But instead, I baked an entire box of them into this cake.

The base is a soft vanilla cake lightly sweetened with both granulated and brown sugar. I use coconut oil in almost all of my cakes because I love how incredibly moist it keeps them. Then there are juicy peaches layered throughout with little swirls of raspberry jam tucked into every bite.

And because nothing pairs better with peaches than brown butter, that’s exactly what we’re using for the frosting. It’s rich, nutty, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, and the perfect finish to every slice. It’s the kind of frosting you’ll want to sneak a spoonful of before it ever makes it onto the cake.

These are the details

Ingredients

Peach Filling

• peaches
• granulated sugar
• ground cinnamon
• raspberry jam
• fresh raspberries

Cake

• coconut oil
• sour cream
• large eggs
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• whole milk
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• sea salt

Brown Butter Maple Frosting

• salted butter
• cream cheese
• powdered sugar
• maple syrup
• vanilla extract

The Steps

Step 1: Prep the Peaches

Toss the peaches with the sugar, cinnamon, and a few spoonfuls of raspberry jam. Let them sit while you mix the batter. The peaches will become extra juicy, which is exactly what you want.

Tip

Don’t peel the peaches! The skin adds beautiful color, extra flavor, plus so much of the fruit’s natural fiber and nutrients. If your peaches are especially ripe, don’t leave behind any of those juices either. They bake right into the cake, making every bite even more moist and flavorful.

Step 2: Make the Batter

Whisk together the coconut oil, sour cream, eggs, both sugars, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Tip

Don’t overmix the batter. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and will give you the softest, most tender cake.

Step 3: Layer the Cake

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon over half the peaches and their juices, then top with the remaining batter and finish with the rest of the peaches. Gently spread the batter as needed—it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Tip

Don’t worry about perfectly even layers. Some peaches will peek through, and the batter may not spread completely smooth. Everything bakes together beautifully.

Step 4: Bake

Bake until the cake is golden and the center is just set. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

Tip

Be patient here. A completely cooled cake is much easier to frost and keeps everything looking beautiful. Plus, the brown butter needs time to cool, so this is the perfect time to make the frosting.

Step 5: Make the Brown Butter Frosting

Brown the butter until it smells rich and nutty, then let it cool back to room temperature. Beat it together with the cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until light, fluffy, and smooth.

Tip

Don’t leave behind the browned bits in the pan. That’s where all the incredible brown butter flavor lives.

Step 6: Frost and Finish

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Dollop the remaining raspberry jam over the top and gently swirl it with a knife. Finish with fresh peach slices and the tiniest raspberries you can find before slicing.

Frozen raspberries also work really well if fresh aren’t available.

Make It Your Own

Swap the raspberry jam for peach preserves or apricot jam. Nectarines are just as delicious if that’s what you find at the market. If you’re craving a little crunch, sprinkle chopped cinnamon pecans over the frosting before serving.

For Entertaining

Sheet cakes like this always remind me of my Nonnie. She loved placing one right in the middle of the table so everyone could help themselves, and I still do the same, especially for Sunday dinner. Serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of softly whipped cream. She always did that for my grandpa, and it’s those little touches that made her cooking and baking feel so special.

And don’t worry if every slice looks a little different. That’s part of this cake’s charm. Embrace the perfectly imperfect beauty of this cake.

To Store

Cover any leftovers and keep them in the refrigerator. I actually think this cake is even better the next day, once the peaches have settled into the cake and the brown butter frosting has had time to chill.