Peach Bundt Cake with Pecans & Maple-Cream Glaze

This Southern-style peach bundt cake features a maple-cream glaze, toasted pecans, tender sour-cream crumb, & warm spices (cinnamon and cardamom).

 

Late Summer and Fall Favorite

Peak-summer peaches make this bundt cake shine, but this Southern-style dessert also screams fall thanks to warm spices and pecans-great for Labor Day, back-to-school snacks, or a cozy weekend brunch. Even though I made it with fresh peaches, this cake would be as delicious with frozen or canned peaches. My other favorite summetime peach desserts are old-fashioned peach cobbler with bourbon glaze, peach galette, and peach upside down cake.

What Makes This Cake Stand Out

• Layered fruit: I don't just fold all the peaches in the cake batter; I layer half in the middle and half on top so the fruit stays distinct and evenly distributed without sinking.
• Cozy flavors: I add orange zest/juice and a pinch of cardamom with cinnamon-these tiny tweaks make the peach bundt cake taste "bakery-authentic."
• Sour-cream batter: I tested with milk and yogurt, but sour cream gave the most tender, velvety texture and excellent moisture for days.
• Maple-cream-vanilla glaze: I make it with powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, a splash of heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. The glaze adds real maple flavor and light caramel notes that complement the peaches and pecans. It also softens the crumb's edges and helps the pecans stick.

The Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour: Provides tructure. If using cake flour, use 3 cups minus 2 tablespoons (to account for lower protein). For GF, use a 1:1 baking blend plus ½ teaspoon xanthan if your blend lacks it.
• Baking powder + baking soda: Help the peach bundt cake rise properly while creating a soft, tender texture. Don't swap quantities; the combo is tuned to sour cream's acidity and to lift this dense cake.
• Salt: Balances sweetness; Reduce to ¼ teaspoon, or skip if using salted butter.
• Cinnamon & cardamom: Add cozy, warm spice. No cardamom? Use ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg or a touch of ginger.
• Unsalted butter:  If using salted butter, reduce or skip adding salt. To make it dairy-free, use a quality plant butter (stick style) and a neutral oil for 2-3 tablespoons of the fat if needed for moisture.
• Granulated + light brown sugar: White sugar is for structure, brown sugar adds moisture/caramel notes. If using dark brown sugar, the cake will have a darker color and a stronger molasses flavor, which may overpower the delicate peach and citrus notes. You can sub all white sugar + 1 tablespoon maple syrup in the batter if you must.
• Freshly squeezed orange zest & juice: I recommend grating the orange zest first, and then squeezing the juice.  Sub lemon zest/juice or skip the juice and add 1 more teaspoon vanilla if you don't want citrus.
• Eggs: Room temperature large eggs help emulsify the batter, ensuring that all ingredients combine evenly.
• Vanilla extract: Rounds flavors; almond extract (¼ tsp) is a lovely twist with peaches and pecans.
• Sour cream : Adds moisture and helps activate baking soda. You can use full-fat Greek yogurt as a substitution.
• Peaches, diced: Ripe but firm. You can sub with nectarines or apricots. In off-season, use well-drained canned peaches (dice and pat dry) or frozen (thaw, drain, pat dry).
• Toasted pecans (1¼ cups): They add texture and "Southern" vibe. Sub walnuts, almonds, or skip for nut-free.
• Maple syrup: You can use maple extract (¼ teaspoon) as a substitution to boost the maple flavor.
• Heavy cream: Thins the glaze to a pourable consistency and adds richness. You can also use half-and-half or the whole milk as a substitution.
• Powdered sugar: Provides sweetness and creates a smooth, pourable consistency of the glaze.

The complete list of ingredients and the amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Peach Bundt Cake (Step-by-Step Photos)

• Heat oven to 350°F; grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom in a bowl.
• Add butter with both sugars and orange zest into a separate mixing bowl and cream until light (4-5 min).

• Beat in eggs one at a time, then orange juice and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients and sour cream in alternating additions, mixing just until combined.

• Fold in pecans.
• Spread one-third of batter in pan.

• Layer cake batter + peaches: Toss peaches with 1 tablespoon of flour; scatter half over batter. Add remaining batter, smooth, and press in remaining peaches.

• Bake 55-65 min, until a tester has a few moist crumbs. Cool 10-15 min in pan, invert to a rack, and cool completely.
• Make Maple-Cream Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake, and top with chopped pecans.

FAQ

1. Can I use frozen or canned peaches? Yes. Thaw frozen peaches, drain, and pat very dry; dice small and toss with flour. For canned, use peaches canned in juice (not heavy syrup), drain very well, pat dry, and reduce the glaze slightly if you worry about sweetness.
2. Why do fruit pieces sometimes sink? Batter that's too thin or fruit that's too wet will sink. I keep the batter thick with sour cream, pat fruit dry, and layer the peaches instead of folding them all in. Tossing with flour helps the peaches cling.
3. What size bundt pan should I use? This recipe works best in a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan. I used the Nordic Ware Pro Cast Original Bundt Pan (12 cup), and I highly recommend it. It's made from cast aluminum, which distributes heat evenly for a beautifully golden crust. The nonstick coating helps the cake release cleanly. 
4. What if I don't have a 12-cup Bundt pan? Use a 10-12 cup tube pan (check earlier at ~45-50 minutes). For loaves: divide between two 8.5×4.5-inch pans (50-60 minutes). For cupcakes: about 22-26 minutes; fill ¾ full.
5. How do I prevent the cake from sticking in the pan? Grease every nook thoroughly with baking spray that contains flour or butter + flour, chill the prepped pan 5 minutes, add batter, and let the baked cake cool 10-15 minutes before inverting.

How to Make It Dairy-Free

• Butter: Use a dairy-free butter substitute instead of unsalted regular butter.
• Sour cream: Substitute sour cream with a dairy-free yogurt or plant-based sour cream. Choose unsweetened and plain to keep the flavors balanced.
• Heavy cream: You can substitute it with full-fat canned coconut milk, or plant-based cream with neutral flavor.

How to Make It Gluten-Free

I recommend using gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour. Let the batter rest for about 20-30 minutes before baking. This can help to hydrate the gluten-free flour and improve texture. Make sure all other ingredients are gluten-free. I also recommend adding ½ or 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum. You can also use neutral vegetable oil like canola instead of butter to add moisture to the cake.

More Peach Desserts to Try

• Peach Coffee Cake
• Blueberry Peach Cake
• Simple Cherry Peach Lattice Pie
• Raspberry Peach Cheesecake
• Peach Pancakes (with peaches in the batter!)
• Strawberry Peach Cake
• Peach & Blueberry Crisp
• Raspberry Peach Cake