September 14th, 2026

Hello Reader

Last call. 7 more days.

Fall officially starts September 22nd, which means you have exactly 7 days left to bake with peak summer fruit before everything shifts to apples and pumpkin.

Peaches. Cherries. Strawberries. Blueberries. Plums. They're still here, they're still perfect, and they deserve one last celebration in cake form.

This week, I'm sharing 5 fruit cakes to end summer on the highest note possible. Because summer baking deserves a proper send-off.

Fire up the oven. Let's do this.

Fresh Peach Upside-Down Cake This Honey Peach Upside-Down Cake starts with a buttery honey-and-red-currant caramel, then gets topped with fresh peaches and a tender cake made with browned butter, rye flour, fresh ginger, cardamom, and orange zest. Fresh Peach Upside-Down Cake

Easy Cherry Upside-Down Cake Sweet cherries get caramelized on the bottom, creating a gorgeous top when you flip the cake. The cake itself is tender and just sweet enough. This is the dessert that makes people say, "You MADE that?" Easy Cherry Upside-Down Cake

Rustic Crust Blueberry Galette If you want pie without the pie stress, galettes are the answer. This one has a flaky, buttery crust folded around juicy blueberries. Rustic Crust Blueberry Galette

Strawberry Cardamom Upside-Down Cake This Strawberry Cardamom Upside-Down Cake combines lightly roasted strawberries, cardamom, brown butter, and a touch of rye flour. Strawberry Cardamom Upside-Down Cake

Polish Plum Crumble Cake Polish plum crumble cake is a traditional recipe made with fresh late-season plums and topped with a buttery crumble. Polish Lecho Recipe

Quick Tip: Master End-of-Summer Fruit Cakes

Making beautiful fruit cakes isn't complicated, but a few tricks make a huge difference:

Choosing peak fruit:

• Peaches: Firm but yielding to gentle pressure, fragrant, deep color at the stem end
• Cherries: Firm, plump, with fresh green stems attached
• Blueberries: Deep purple-blue with a slight silvery bloom (that natural coating!)
• Strawberries: Deep red all the way through, fragrant, no white shoulders
• Plums: Slight give when gently pressed, sweet fragrance, no bruises

For upside-down cakes:

• Caramel first: Melt butter with brown sugar (or honey) in the pan. This creates that gorgeous glossy top.
• Arrange thoughtfully: Place fruit face-down in the baking pan. This becomes the "top" when you flip it.
• Toss fruit with cornstarch: Prevents excess juice from making the cake soggy
• Cool briefly, then flip: Wait 10-15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, then flip. Too soon = messy. Too late = stuck. I found 15 minutes works perfectly.

For galettes:

• Cold dough matters: Keep butter and dough as cold as possible for flaky layers
• Egg wash for shine: Brush the crust with beaten egg before baking
• Turbinado sugar on top: Adds crunch and sparkle
• Fold the edges loosely: Rustic = intentional. Don't stress about perfection.
• Honey-butter finishing brush. It is the cherry on top. Try it!

For crumble cakes:

• Cold butter for the crumble: Creates that signature crumbly texture
• Simple ratio: 1 part butter, 1 part sugar, 2 parts flour
• Chill before baking: Keeps the crumble from melting into the cake
• Add flavor: Vanilla, cinnamon, or nuts elevate the topping

General cake tips:

• Room temperature ingredients: Butter, eggs, and milk should be at room temp for even mixing
• Don't overmix: Overmixed batter = tough cake. Mix until just combined.
• Test for doneness: Toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter
• Cool before slicing: Warm cake tastes amazing, but it slices better when slightly cooled

Storage tips:

• Room temp: Most fruit cakes keep 2-3 days covered at room temperature
• Refrigerate: For longer storage (up to 5 days), refrigerate covered
• Freeze: Fruit cakes freeze beautifully. Wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months
• Refresh: A few seconds in the microwave brings them back to life

Pro tip: Fruit cakes are one of the most forgiving desserts you can make. Ripe fruit + good butter + tender cake = magic every time. Don't stress about perfection. Bake with what's beautiful and in season, and it'll always be delicious.

Before you go :)

Thank you for being part of My Omni Kitchen! Made something delicious? Tag @sylwiavaclavekphotography - seeing your creations is the best part of my day.

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P.P.S. I'm planning my April recipes - is there a dish you would want me to make? Reply and tell me what you're craving!