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Brown Sugar Peach Upside-Down Skillet Cake
Juicy summer peaches caramelize beneath a tender vanilla-yogurt cake, then flip into a glossy cast-iron showpiece.
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Dutch Stroopwafels with Cinnamon-Caramel Syrup
Thin yeast waffles split while warm and sandwiched around buttery cinnamon caramel make a crisp-chewy café treat that softens over a hot mug.
Directions
Wake the yeast
Stir the warm milk, yeast and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, until lightly foamy. If the milk exceeds 115°F, let it cool before adding yeast.
Mix and proof the dough
Whisk the flour, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter and egg and knead by hand or with a dough hook for 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth and soft. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes; it will look puffy but may not double.
Cook the caramel syrup
Combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, water, cinnamon and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted, then simmer without vigorous boiling for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and 225 to 230°F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Keep warm over the lowest heat; do not let it exceed 235°F or it will set too hard.
Portion and preheat
Divide the dough into 14 pieces of about 58 grams each and roll into balls. Preheat a shallow-grid stroopwafel iron, waffle-cone iron or pizzelle press according to its manual and grease lightly if the manufacturer recommends it.
Press the waffles
Place one dough ball in the center, close the iron and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until evenly deep golden. Transfer to a board with a thin spatula. Keep uncooked dough covered and adjust timing for your iron; dark browning creates crispness, but black spots taste bitter.
Split while hot
Working immediately and wearing a heat-resistant glove on the hand holding the waffle, trim it to a 4-inch round if desired. Hold a thin serrated knife parallel to the board and carefully split the hot waffle into two thin discs. If it cools and resists, do not force it; use it as a single crisp waffle instead.
Fill and set
Spread about 1 tablespoon warm caramel nearly to the edge of one disc and top with the second, pressing gently. Repeat, returning the syrup to very low heat if it thickens. Cool the filled stroopwafels in a single layer for 30 minutes before stacking.
Why this works
Why it worksA soft, butter-rich yeast dough compresses into the characteristic thin grid while retaining enough structure to split when hot.
Why it worksHolding the syrup below the hard-ball range keeps the filling chewy after cooling instead of turning brittle.
Why it worksSplitting each waffle immediately uses steam and residual softness to create two delicate layers without baking a second wafer.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on AmazonDigital kitchen scaleEqual dough portions press to a consistent thickness, cook evenly and match the recipe's yield.See current options →
Compare on AmazonDigital cooking thermometerA 225 to 230°F syrup target helps the cinnamon caramel stay chewy instead of becoming brittle.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless mixing bowlsSturdy bowls handle the yeasted dough, proofing and small-batch ingredient prep without retaining aromas.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Golden syrup can replace light corn syrup one-for-one and gives the filling a slightly toastier flavor.
- Use 2% milk in place of whole milk; avoid skim milk because the dough benefits from a little dairy fat.
- If your pizzelle press makes 3-inch rounds, divide the dough into 20 pieces of about 40 grams and use roughly 2 teaspoons filling per cookie.
Cook notes
- Total time includes a 45-minute proof and a 30-minute cooling period; active work is about 65 minutes.
- A standard deep Belgian waffle maker cannot press the wafers thin enough. Use a shallow-grid waffle-cone, pizzelle or dedicated stroopwafel iron.
- Hot irons, wafers and caramel can burn. Use dry heat protection, keep fingers clear of the plates and split waffles on a stable board.
- A digital scale keeps the wafers equal so they cook and split at the same rate.
- Caramel temperature is a practical check, but appearance matters too: it should flow in a slow ribbon and remain spreadable on low heat.
Storage
Cool completely before storing airtight at room temperature for up to 7 days, separating layers with parchment. Rewarm one over a steaming mug for 1 to 2 minutes or in a 250°F oven for 3 minutes. Freeze airtight for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature; do not microwave, which can make the caramel dangerously hot.
Questions
Why do my stroopwafels crack when I split them?
They cooled too much, cooked too long or are too thick. Split each within about 20 seconds of opening the iron, use a gentle sawing motion and keep the remaining dough covered.
Why did the caramel become hard?
It cooked past about 235°F or boiled too long. Warm it gently with 1 tablespoon water; if it remains brittle, make a fresh batch and stop at 225 to 230°F.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. After kneading, cover and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. Bring it toward room temperature for 30 minutes, portion and proceed; the cooler dough may need a few extra seconds in the iron.
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Dutch Stroopwafels with Cinnamon-Caramel Syrup
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1. Wake the yeastStir the warm milk, yeast and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, until lightly foamy. If the milk exceeds 115°F, let it cool before adding yeast.
2. Mix and proof the doughWhisk the flour, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter and egg and knead by hand or with a dough hook for 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth and soft. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes; it will look puffy but may not double.
3. Cook the caramel syrupCombine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, water, cinnamon and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted, then simmer without vigorous boiling for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and 225 to 230°F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Keep warm over the lowest heat; do not let it exceed 235°F or it will set too hard.
4. Portion and preheatDivide the dough into 14 pieces of about 58 grams each and roll into balls. Preheat a shallow-grid stroopwafel iron, waffle-cone iron or pizzelle press according to its manual and grease lightly if the manufacturer recommends it.
5. Press the wafflesPlace one dough ball in the center, close the iron and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until evenly deep golden. Transfer to a board with a thin spatula. Keep uncooked dough covered and adjust timing for your iron; dark browning creates crispness, but black spots taste bitter.
6. Split while hotWorking immediately and wearing a heat-resistant glove on the hand holding the waffle, trim it to a 4-inch round if desired. Hold a thin serrated knife parallel to the board and carefully split the hot waffle into two thin discs. If it cools and resists, do not force it; use it as a single crisp waffle instead.
7. Fill and setSpread about 1 tablespoon warm caramel nearly to the edge of one disc and top with the second, pressing gently. Repeat, returning the syrup to very low heat if it thickens. Cool the filled stroopwafels in a single layer for 30 minutes before stacking.