The most popular recipes for peach cake are rustic single-layer yellow cakes studded with chunks of fresh peaches, but many of these recipes have big problems. Some cakes are made mushy and wet by an excess of peach juice, while others feature chunks of bloated peaches that sank to the bottom of the pan and steamed. Read more . Here's what we discovered: Test Kitchen Discoveries Our preferred method for peeling peaches is to use a serrated vegetable peeler. For a studier crumb that could better support the fruit on top, we used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. Because the peaches were so sweet, we cut back the sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup, using a mixture of granulated and light brown sugars for more flavor. To absorb excess moisture from the peaches and prevent the cake from becoming soggy, scatter chopped dried peaches or apricots over the batter before arranging the fresh peaches on top. The dried fruit soaks up the excess peach juice, eliminating a soggy cake top. Since overly ripe peaches will make the cake soggy, look for barely ripe peaches that give slightly to the touch. STEP BY STEP Easy Peach Peeling Our preferred method for peeling peaches is to use a serrated vegetable peeler. STEP BY STEP Preventing Soggy Cake Ripe peaches throw off a lot of juice when they cook, and that liquid can make cakes soggy. Here's how we control the moisture in this cake. 1. Scatter chopped dried peaches or apricots over the batter before arranging the fresh peaches on top. The dried fruit soaks up the excess peach juice, eliminating a soggy cake top. 2. Arrange the peaches in a circular pattern around the edge of the cake, reserving 3 slices to fill in the center. STEP BY STEP Chopping Dried Fruit Dried fruit and knives have a very sticky relationship. An easy way to avoid sticking when chopping dried fruit is to give your knife a quick spritz with cooking spray before getting started. -