Lemon Ricotta Peach Upside-Down Cake

After getting married and moving to the UAE, I slowly began my cooking journey. Baking was always something I loved, although in those early days, I was often hesitant to experiment with unfamiliar recipes or try ideas of my own.

Somehow, I became completely hooked on upside-down cakes.

The idea of arranging fruit at the bottom of a cake tin, covering it with batter and then revealing a beautiful pattern once the cake was baked and turned over felt almost magical. These cakes were new to me, and I loved how something so simple could look so impressive.

This lemon ricotta peach upside-down cake brings together some of my favourite flavours and textures. The peaches create a soft, colourful pattern across the top, while lemon adds the freshness needed to balance the richness of the ricotta.

Because ricotta naturally gives the cake a slightly dense, moist texture, I also folded in small pieces of peach into the batter. Tossing them lightly in flour helps prevent them from sinking completely to the bottom. As you slice into the cake, these pieces add little bursts of freshness, making every bite feel lighter and fruitier.

Traditional upside-down cakes often begin with a generous caramel layer. For this version, I kept things simpler. I sprinkled just a teaspoon of brown sugar into the cake tin before arranging the peach slices. As the cake baked, the sugar gently caramelised around the fruit, giving the peaches a glossy finish and a subtle caramel flavour without making the cake overly sweet.

The final cake is moist, tender and beautifully rustic. It is lovely served slightly warm on its own, although a spoonful of softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would make it even more indulgent.

Lemon Ricotta Peach Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Makes: One 8-inch cake
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 45–55 minutes

Ingredients

For the peach topping

• Ripe but firm peaches, 4- 5
• Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon
• Butter, for greasing the cake tin

For the cake batter

• All-purpose flour, 180 g
• Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
• Salt ¼ teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, softened, 115 g
• Caster sugar 180 gms
• Large eggs, at room temperature 3
• Ricotta cheese 200 g
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons
• Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• Milk, if required 2–3 tablespoons
• Peach, cut into small pieces 1
• All-purpose flour, for coating the peach pieces 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease an 8-inch round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the lined base.
2. Slice the 3-4 peaches into thin, even wedges. Arrange the slices over the sugar in a circular or overlapping pattern.
3. Take a little time with this step, as this will become the top of the finished cake. Set the prepared tin aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt.
5. In a separate large bowl, mix eggs and ricotta. I had to blend this mixture. Mix until combined. The mixture may look slightly textured because of the ricotta, which is perfectly fine. Add melted butter, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix again.
6. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the ricotta mixture. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cake heavy.
7. If the batter feels particularly thick, fold in two or three tablespoons of milk. Place the chopped peach pieces in a small bowl and toss them with one tablespoon of flour. Gently fold them through the batter.
8. Carefully spoon the batter over the arranged peach slices. Spread it gently and evenly without disturbing the pattern beneath.
9. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
10. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for approximately 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake.
11. Place a serving plate over the tin and carefully turn everything over in one confident movement. Lift away the tin and peel off the baking paper to reveal the peach pattern.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before slicing.

Styling and Serving

The glossy peach slices already make this cake naturally beautiful, so it needs very little decoration. A light dusting of icing sugar around the edges can add softness without covering the fruit pattern.

For serving, I would pair it with softly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of lightly sweetened ricotta. A little extra lemon zest scattered over the plate can also bring out the citrus notes.

This cake reminds me why I first fell in love with upside-down cakes. There is always a small moment of anticipation before turning the tin over, followed by the pleasure of discovering the pattern hidden underneath.

And even when the fruit arrangement is not absolutely perfect, the result still has a warm, handmade beauty—which, for me, is part of its charm.