An ultra-moist and fluffy vegan peach sheet cake with plenty of fresh peaches and the most delicious brown sugar frosting. Best in summertime when peaches are in season but may also use frozen/canned peaches any time of year! Easy to make in 1 bowl (+ 1 pot for the frosting).
In summertime when peaches are fresh and abundant, I typically start making my Vegan Peach Cobbler on repeat. But this year I wanted to come up with another go-to peach dessert to bring to potlucks and backyard bbq’s.
I came across this recipe for a Brown Sugar Peach Cake from The View From Great Island and knew I had to make a vegan friendly version asap!
Inspiration came from my Vegan Coconut Cake for the cake part, which is one of the easiest cake recipes in the world but still incredible. I love a cake recipe that can be easily made in 1 bowl without any complicated ingredients like aquafaba. You don’t even need a mixer, just a spoon and whisk!
Special tips and substitutions
- Gluten free – To make the cake gluten free, substitute a high quality gluten free all purpose flour. Do NOT use almond flour, it will not work.
- Don’t have fresh peaches? While the cake is best with fresh ripe peaches, you can make it with either frozen or canned peaches in a pinch.
- Don’t like your cakes very sweet? Leave off the brown sugar frosting. It’s super sweet (which I love, it is cake, after all!), so if that’s not your thing, dust the cake with a little powdered sugar instead.
- Want to use a different pan? I use an 11×17 inch sheet pan, but you can make it in a 9×13 inch pan if you want. The cake will need longer to bake. You could also make it in two 8 inch pans and frost it with my buttercream frosting instead, and perhaps decorate with fresh peaches.
How to store leftover peach cake
The cake will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days, covered well. You can also refrigerate it, covered, for up to 1 week. If needed, freeze some of the slices or a portion of the cake.
The extra-special brown sugar frosting
The frosting is the highlight of this recipe to me! It’s caramel-like, cooked on the stove in just minutes, then poured over the cake straight out of the oven.
Just like my Chocolate Sheet Cake, this brown sugar frosting hardens a bit on the cake as it cools, creating the most delicious texture ever.
All you need to make it are vegan butter, plant milk, brown sugar, vanilla and powdered sugar.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do!
Want more summer vegan cake recipes?
- Vegan Strawberry Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Hummingbird Cake
- Vegan Lemon Blueberry Lavender Cake
- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Sheet Cake with Whipped Buttercream
Vegan Peach Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
Ingredients
Peach Cake
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 3/4 cup peach nectar or juice or more milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 medium peaches peeled and chopped
Brown Sugar Frosting
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted if clumpy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 11×17 inch sheet pan. You can also use a 9×13 inch pan but the cake will need to cook longer.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and whisk well to combine.
- Pour in the oil, milk, peach nectar or juice and vanilla. Mix with a large spoon until just combined, but be careful not to over mix.
- Fold in the chopped peaches gently.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes (or 40-50 minutes if using a 9×13 inch pan), or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting: To a medium saucepan, add the vegan butter, milk and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until the butter has melted and the brown sugar dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, gradually, until the frosting is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla as well.
- Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake once it's done baking, spreading evenly with a spatula or spoon.
- Let the cake and frosting cool for at least 30 minutes before serving, so the frosting can harden a bit. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
- The brown sugar frosting is very sweet, so if you prefer a less sweet cake, simply leave the frosting off. You could dust it with powdered sugar instead.
- Instead of cake flour, you can substitute all purpose flour but the cake will be a bit more dense. If needed, use a quality gluten free flour mix.
- Any plant milk will work, just try to use unsweetened so you don’t add more sweetness, since it’s already a sweet recipe.
- If you can’t find peach nectar or juice, you can use more milk.
- Frozen peaches will work, just cut them up (either while still frozen or defrosted), defrost and fold into the cake. Canned peaches will work as well.
- The cake will keep at room temperature, covered, for 3-4 days or up to a week in the refrigerator. Slices can also be frozen.
This is a delicious peach cake – made it in the 1/4 sheet cake pan. I did not ice the cake and it was just lovely. I hope to make this again. I used cake flour, not GF this time.
Thanks for sharing your awesome review and feedback! I’m thrilled you loved the cake! Wishing you happy cooking!
This is an amazing cake! I made it exactly how the recipe outlined, except in 9×13” pan. It cooked in 40 minutes on the dot, and it was the perfect 4th of July dessert. Thank you for this!
You are welcome, Katie! Thanks for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you loved the cake!
Amazing! Made with fresh peaches. Even good eating the leftovers frozen lol
Can this be made into cupcakes please
I’m sure you could make cupcakes out of this recipe, I believe it would make somewhere around 24 cupcakes. Just fill cupcake liners about half full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Top with the brown sugar frosting.
This cake turned out GREAT!
I halved the recipe and cooked in an 8X8 pan for 30 mins @ 350°.
I used all oat milk, no juice.
I used a couple tablespoons of cashew yoghurt to top off the oil.
I also used defrosted frozen peaches.
It’s so good.
Thank you, I always love your easy and delicious recipes!
Hi Ida! I’m so thrilled the cake turned out great for you! Thank you for sharing your ideas and baking experience. I appreciate you using my recipes! Happy cooking!
Such a delicious cake! Everything came together easily.
I used store-bought peach juice, but I think next time I will use some peach puree instead (peaches are currently jumping off the tree here), to sub for part of the juice to add some peachy-ness to the cake.
I am planning on making this in a few weeks to take to a vegan potluck!
One of my favorite cakes I’ve ever had! Most of my family ate two pieces. I used a 12×17 pan and it was perfectly done right at 25 minutes. Couldn’t find peach nectar but I subbed in a high quality mango juice and it was perfect! This will absolutely be a staple. Super easy and absolutely incredible!
I’m so thrilled you loved the cake! I appreciate you sharing your cake baking experience! Thanks for your stellar review! Wishing you lots of happy cake baking!
Very delicious! I just had to make this cake, but I didn’t have any peaches. I used canned diced mango instead. It was very yummy, especially the batter and the icing, but the cake still had an “essence” of peach cobbler, so mangoes didn’t quite hit the spot. Can’t wait to try again with peaches! The icing was fantastic, but definitely super sugary. I may try to cut the icing in half next time for my husband – he doesn’t have quite the sweet tooth that I have. Nora, you’re doing a great work! Bless you!!!
Hi Trisha. Your kind words are so special to me. Thank you for sharing your amazing feedback and review! The cake sounds amazing with mangos! I’ll have to try that! Happy cooking!
Loved this cake! I made it for a birthday party but made it in a 9 x 11 pan instead of a sheet pan and ended up using your buttercream vanilla frosting in place of the one included in this recipe. It was SO good! My new favorite cake.
Hi Ashley. Sound delicious! I’m thrilled you loved the cake! Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas and review! I bet it was delicious with the vanilla frosting!
AMAZING!! Made this for my daughter’s 2nd birthday with her friends and their parents. It was such a hit for kids and parents alike. I did this with nectarines instead as that’s what I had and it was delicious. I also added an extra nectarine which made the cake look like focaccia bread haha because there was so much fruit to batter ratio but it still tasted so good. I also only did 2 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting and it was perfect.
This cake is amazing and everyone should make it.
It’s like the fruit version of the chocolate sheet cake by Nora which is also an amazing recipe.
I’m so thrilled the cake was a hit! It sounds really delicious! Happy birthday to your daughter! Thanks for sharing your stellar review and feedback!
HI,
So much oil and butter. How could I make this with less? Thanks, it looks so good!
Sure! The taste and texture will be different, but you could sub applesauce or vegan yogurt for some or all of the oil in the cake itself. The frosting can’t be made without vegan butter, but you could just sprinkle a dusting of powdered sugar instead.
This looks so heavenly
This cake was absolutely delicious!!!
I did a couple of things different that turned out great. I used canned peaches and cut them really large and it was perfect. When I made the icing (I only made half a recipe – the cake too) When I went to add the powdered sugar I only had about 1/4 cup to add 😬. Needless to say the icing was really runny – but again tasted delicious . So good in fact when I remake the is again I will use the same changes again. Thanks for this great recipe.
To the above commenter – never un-veganize a recipe.
The vegan version is ALWAYS better, healthier, and tastier.
Plus you are helping the animal world
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, thank you for your review and sharing your changes!
Hi Nora – recipe looks delicious. Can I omit mixing in peaches into the recipe and just having them served on the side? Not sure how that would impact the cake itself. Thanks!
Yes, you could. It won’t impact the cake much and it will still work. Hope you enjoy!
Can i substitute the vegan butter, milk, etc for regular ingredients? It just looks so delicious.
It should work fine I think.
Hi Nora, this sounds delicious. Can the frosting be drizzled on the cake to reduce sweetness?
Sure, that should be fine!
Could I bake this in 2 round pans and layer the cake?
I believe you could, but I haven’t tried it myself. Should work well!