Peach and Cream Cupcakes

It's peach season! We went out to Long Island to pick fresh tree-ripe peaches. They were the most delicious peaches I've ever had - not that I had much peach experience. They smelled very peachy - extremely sweet and juicy - and incredibly fuzzy...

Out of 6 or 7 pounds that I picked, my friends and I ate about half fresh and we used the rest for peach and blueberry mini pies. They were all well and delicious. The only problem was that I told everybody I would make peach cupcakes for a friend's birthday party. So peaches from the supermarket would have to do... They were not as fragrant and sweet. But with the magic of butter, sugar, and creamcheese - the cupcakes turned out wonderful. One of my cupcake fans even claimed that these were his ultimate favorite cupcakes (so far.)



Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter - room temperature


• 2 cups sugar


• 3 large eggs


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1 cup buttermilk


• 2 ripe peaches - peeled, seeded and chopped
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• 2 packages of cream cheese, divided


• 1 stick butter - room temperature


• 3 cups confectioner sugar


• 2 ripe peaches - peeled, seeded and pureed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.


2. With an electric mixer, beat 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar together until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl as necessary.


3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.


4. Stir the flour mixture into the batter alternately with buttermilk in three batches. Stir until well combined. Fold in chopped peaches.


5. Drop the batter by generous tablespoonful into the prepared muffin pans. Fill each up to half. Cut cream cheese into about 1/4 inch cubes. Drop each into the middle of batter.


6. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely on cooling racks. Make 32 cupcakes.


7. To make the frosting, beat confectioner sugar and a stick of butter together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the rest of cream cheese. Beat well. Add peach puree. Beat until well combined and stiff. If the frosting becomes to watery, add sugar or leave in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Drop about a teaspoon onto each cupcake and frost.

Dimpled cupcake (from a drop of cream cheese)