Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line the base of a 23cm (9-inch) round springform tin with baking parchment. This is important to stop the caramelised topping from sticking.

Prepare the Peaches: In a medium bowl, gently toss the sliced peaches with the dark brown sugar and ground cinnamon until they are evenly coated. Set this mixture aside while you make the cake batter.

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed, which helps the cake rise evenly.

Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together on medium-high speed for about 3-5 minutes. The mixture should become pale, light, and fluffy. For a visual guide, this technique of creaming butter and sugar is key to a tender cake.

Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the eggs are mixed in, beat in the vanilla extract.

Combine Wet and Dry: Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour in the milk and mix again, then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix only until you no longer see streaks of flour. What works best for me is to avoid over-mixing here, as it can lead to a tough cake.

Assemble the Cake: Pour the melted butter from the topping ingredients into the bottom of your prepared tin and swirl to coat the base. Arrange the brown sugar-coated peach slices in a single, decorative layer over the butter. You can create a spiral pattern or just a simple concentric circle.

Add Batter and Bake: Carefully spoon the cake batter over the peaches, spreading it gently with a spatula to cover them completely. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The top should be golden brown and springy to the touch.

Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, carefully run a knife around the edge and release the springform collar. Place a serving plate on top and confidently invert the cake. Peel off the parchment paper. Serve your Brown Sugar Peach Cake warm or at room temperature.