Heavenly Peach Kuchen

Picture this – a warm, buttery aroma wafting through your kitchen, accompanied by the tantalizing scent of peaches dancing in the air. This delightful peach kuchen recipe promises a symphony of flavors and textures, combining the simplicity of a buttercake mix with the lusciousness of sliced peaches, cinnamon, and a heavenly sour cream topping.

“Kuchen” is a German word that translates to “cake” in English. It encompasses a wide range of cakes and is often associated with communal gatherings and the joy of sharing. This recipe creates a slice perfect for sharing with others, but I wouldn’t blame you if you hid it away just for yourself.

Creating the Base

The base for this peach kuchen is a blend of three things; desiccated coconut, butter and a packet cake mix.

• The packet cake mix doesn’t need to be anything fancy. The home-brand butter cake mix works amazing here, so why spend extra on a fancy brand label equivalent.
• You need the butter to be softened. Either leave the butter on the bench to bring it to room temperature or dice it up and microwave it for about 40 seconds.

Combine the butter, packet cake mix and coconut in a bowl and combine to create a texture reminiscent of coarse breadcrumbs.

Next, transfer the crumb mixture into a lined slice tin (approx. 8″ x 12″). Use your hand to press the batter out to form an even layer. The back of a glass also works great here for pressing out the mixture.

Finish the base by baking it at 180 °C for 10 to 15 minutes. The finished base should be lightly golden in color. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes

The Golden Peaches

With the base set, it’s time to move on to the stars of the show – the sliced peaches. For this you will need a large can of sliced peaches. Start by draining the peaches with care, and then arrange the peaches with precision, ensuring every inch of the base is covered. The slice tin I use typically allows for 3 columns of peaches if arranged carefully.

To elevate the flavors, we next need to sprinkle a quarter-cup of sugar and a hint of cinnamon over the peaches. This subtle touch adds a layer of warmth and sweetness, creating a balanced and enticing aroma that will permeate every bite.

I will often skip measuring the sugar and cinnamon when doing this recipe. I find a generous shake from the cinnamon tube and good dusting of sugar is sufficient to cover the peaches.

Finishing the Peach Kuchen

The crown jewel to the recipe is the sour cream mixture, which you could say is the glue that holds everything together. For this you will need to create a mixture of 1 cup of sour cream and 1 egg combined together.

A whisk works fine to combine these two ingredients. An immersion blender can also be used to speed the process. Pour the finished sour cream mixture over the top of the peaches slowly, ensuring that the mixture fills all the gaps to encapsulate each peach slice.

Finish the kuchen by baking it at 180 °C for 10 to 15 minutes, until the topping is set. You will find that as the kuchen bakes your kitchen will be filled with this heavenly scent of a dessert nearing perfection.

As you remove the Peach Kuchen from the oven, let it cool, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify. The slice is best served cold. After allowing it to cool from the oven transfer it to the fridge and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Lastly, finish by slicing and serving out.

Peach Kuchen isn’t just a dessert; it’s an experience – a symphony of flavors that will leave you yearning for more. The kuchen will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge (if it manages not to be eaten before then).