Peach pie! This is what summer tastes like! Fresh peaches, easy homemade crust. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and get ready for summer bliss.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I could go on and on about my love of cakes. The flake of the crust, the sweet filling, that shimmer of sugar on the crust—but I’ll spare you.
That’s the memory of summer for me, and peach pie is a recipe that I think every baker should have in their recipe box.
Video: how to make peach pie
1:55
peach pie
The best peach pie filling
I like to use fresh, ripe peaches and peel them before slicing. It’s extra work, but I think it’s worth it. However, frozen peaches will also work. (I tested this cake with both.)
I like to thicken my peach pies with cornstarch rather than tapioca or flour. I find that tapioca can get gummy as the cake cools (especially if the cake has spilled) and I just don’t like using flour as a thickener in cakes.
Do you have to peel the peaches?
If you use fresh peaches, Peeling the skins off is a bit of extra work, but I think it’s worth it so you don’t end up with pieces in the pie. Simply cut an “x” into the blossom end of the peach (the tip of the fruit opposite the stem side) and dip each peach in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds before submerging in an ice bath. The skins should peel off easily.
If you use frozen peaches, Let them thaw, then drain off the liquid before adding to the pie crust.
Homemade Pie Crust: You Can Do It!
I know there’s a lot of cake fear out there, but I guess with a little know-how and a little acceptance there’s nothing to fear at all.
Sometimes cakes just don’t end up looking perfect. Sometimes the crust slips a little or shrinks. Sometimes the cake is too sour or too runny, or it’s not perfect – earth-shattering in its flakiness.
But I’m here to tell you that it’s OK. As with all things, practice makes perfect. And no matter what, you still have cake at the end of the day!
I would also argue that a perfect cake isn’t nearly as charming or beautiful as a rustic one. However, read on for my tips to reduce cake stress and increase cake success!
The best tips for cake success
- Work with cold ingredients, especially butter!
- Refrigerate the dough at every opportunity. This is how you get an amazing cake that keeps its shape.
- Cakes can seem like they take forever to bake, and that can feel a little stressful. Don’t worry. A tart like this can take an hour or more to fully bake – especially if your filling was cold to start (e.g. if you’re using frozen fruit).
- In the oven, make sure your filling bubbles through the center of the cake. That’s how you know it’s done. Thickeners like cornstarch do not react and begin to thicken until they reach boiling point.
- Don’t stress about the crust burning. The base is unlikely to burn as it is well insulated thanks to the cake stand (especially if you use a glass or ceramic dish) and also thanks to the weight of the filling.
- If the edges of the crust darken too much, Create a foil ring that is placed over the edges. Or invest in a cheap pie crust shield (I love mine).
- Finally, resist the urge to cut the cake before it has completely cooled. The filling needs to set or all the juices will spill out! If you want a warm piece of cake, gently warm it in the oven or microwave.
- Bonus tip! If you want a super tightly woven trellis (like the one you see here) or one with lots of decorative touches, your best bet is to make three individual crusts (or 1 1/2 recipes of the infallible pie dough).
How to store your peach pie
Store your fresh cake in the refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap or in an inverted bowl, for up to two days or 3-4 days.
Baked peach pie can also be frozen for up to three months. Cool the cake completely, then wrap in foil and plastic and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw the cake on the counter. Serve at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven.
love peaches? Try these recipes!
- Peach Blueberry Pie
- peach cobbler
- Peach galette
- Summer peaches with baked meringue
- Skillet peach chips with ginger and pecans
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Old fashioned peach pie
It’s a bit of extra work if you use fresh peaches, but I think it’s worth it. Simply cut an “x” into the blossom end of the peach (the tip of the fruit opposite the stem side) and dip each peach in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds before submerging in an ice bath. The skins should peel off easily.
If using frozen peaches, thaw and drain liquid before adding to the pie crust.
If you want to make a very firm pie crust like I did, or if you want to decorate your pie with extra cut out decorations, prepare 3 individual crusts of dough (1 1/2 Perfect Pie Crust Recipes) to be sure you have enough.
Elise’s No-Fail Sour Cream Pie Crust also pairs well with this recipe.
ingredients
-
1 complete recipe Perfect pie crust (2 single crusts)
-
3 lb fresh or frozen ripe peachespeeled and sliced (about 8 cups sliced peaches; see recipe note)
-
1/2 Cup sugar
-
1/2 teaspoon Cinammon, Optional
-
1 to 2 teaspoon lemon juice
-
1 prize kosher salt
-
4 tablespoon cornstarch
-
1 big egg
-
1 tablespoon milk
-
grinding sugar or any coarse sugar
method
-
Prepare the cake dough:
Divide the dough in two and refrigerate. Instructions for preparing your cake batter can be found here.
-
Roll out the bottom dough:
Take one of the chilled pie dough slices out of the fridge and let stand at room temperature for a few minutes until malleable.
Roll out the dough into a large circle, about 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Place the dough in the pie plate and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Don’t worry about trimming the edges just yet; leave it to the end.
-
Make the peach filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the peeled and sliced peaches, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt and gently fold in. Try one of the peaches and add extra sugar for sweetness or lemon juice for tartness if you find it necessary.
Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the stop and stir gently to incorporate.
Spread the filling over the chilled cake base and place back in the fridge to cool.
-
Roll out the top crust (and grate if desired):
Remove the second layer of cake (and the third, if using; see recipe note) from the fridge. For an easy rolled out top crust, roll the pie crust into a 9-inch circle and transfer to the top of the chilled pie. Use a sharp knife to cut the ventilation slits in a few places.
For a grid base, roll out the dough into a wide rectangle as shown. Cut evenly sized strips of dough – I like to use a pizza wheel to cut the strips and a ruler as a guide (the width of most rulers is also a good width for the grid strips). Weave the strips into a trellis for the cake.
Trim the edges of the top crust and bottom crust, leaving enough bottom crust to neatly cover the edge of the top crust. Knead the dough to seal the edges.
-
Cool:
Chill the assembled cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 400°F:
Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to catch any spills. Whisk together the egg and tablespoon of milk.
-
Bake a cake:
Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and brush the top with the egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place the cake on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the pie in the bottom third of the oven for about 1 hour or until the filling is bubbling in the center of the pie.
-
Remove from the oven and cool completely:
If you want to serve warm cakes, allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack and warm briefly in the oven before serving. (Or heat individual slices in the microwave.)
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 435 | calories |
| 18g | Fat |
| 66g | carbohydrates |
| 6g | protein |
