Peach Cupcakes

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite fruit is the peach.  I always look forward to the summer, mainly because I know that peach season is nearing.  However, it's a little tough to find the perfect peach.  I always used have trouble finding the perfect median between underripe and overripe.  I would sometimes misjudge a peach with a soft feel to mean that it will be sweet, when in fact, it was...just...mushy.  So then I'd pick one a little firmer, and it would end up too crisp, like I was biting into an apple!  

BUT after my years and years of experience, I think I can proudly say I'm an expert when it comes to peaches!  I've learned the proper combination of firmness, color, and smell that a peach needs to have in its prime state.  Now, in case you haven't developed this "skill" yet, no need to worry, just aim for an overripe peach.  While an overripe peach may not be the most enjoyable to eat fresh, it is perfect for baking!  Since I've picked many overripe peaches throughout the years, I've experimented with a lot of peach recipes.  However, this peach cupcake recipe that I recently discovered is probably one of my favorite recipes of all time!  

I found this recipe while browsing through my newest addiction:  Pinterest (a fairly new website that allows you to find and save great ideas/recipes/websites, and is being used by most of the food/craft blogging community).  Because it had peaches, it immediately caught my eye.  As I followed the link, I discovered that it not only had peaches, but a cream cheese and peach frosting!  This sounded like a prefect combination, and despite my high expectations, this recipe did not disappoint me one bit.  

At first I was a little skeptical of whether the sweet subtleties of the peach would shine through, but due to the use of dehydrated peaches, the peach flavor was very prominent.  If you have trouble finding dehydrated peaches, I was able to find them at Target, in the store brand (Archer Farms) aisle, near the other packaged dried fruit.  I wouldn't recommend a substitution for this, because these are what give the cupcake its concentrated peach flavor.  

Peach Cupcakes
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Recipe from Week of Menus
Yield:  24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1.75 oz (1 Archer Farms package) freeze dried peaches, pulverized in a mini food processor
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup pureed fresh peach
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
1.75 oz (1 Archer Farms package) freeze dried peaches, pulverized in a mini food processor
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-5 cups of confectioners sugar

Directions:
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins with liners.  Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together buttermilk, peach puree, and vanilla extract.  Set aside until needed.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl until pale, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in pulverized peaches.  Mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of buttermilk mixture.  Mix until just combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

Scoop batter into cupcake tins.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 21-24 minutes.  Allow cupcakes to cool in tins for 10 minutes, and then remove cupcakes and place them on a cooling rack.

For the frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, mix butter until it is softened and uniform.  Add cream cheese and beat together until it is uniform.  Add vanilla extract and mix.  Add pulverized peaches and mix.  Add 3 cups of sugar to the mixture and mix.  Add more sugar if necessary.  Mix again until mixture is creamy and spreadable.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting, using a piping tip if desired.  Garnish the top of each cupcake with a thin slice of peach.

Note:

• I used a Wilton 1M swirl tip to decorate these cupcakes
• Pulverize the peaches right before adding to the batter and frosting, to prevent the peaches from absorbing moisture in the air.