Peach Be With You Cupcakes

I've been lurking on Wifely Steps for over three months now. Toni used to be my blockmate in college and I found her blog through Via. I like reading her blog because it reminds me that the quest for good homemaking is alive in Manila. I know that sounds corny, but I'd like to think that if I still lived there, I would be taking the steps to carve my own corner in that pocket of the world with adventures in housekeeping, experiments with recipes, Twilight movie updates and all that good stuff.

I made these to participate in her Blog Carnival for the ingredients PEACHES and CREAM, but seeing how her deadline is March 22, I'm not sure if this is going to make it! I just made these today.





These are called PEACH BE WITH YOU CUPCAKES, because I made them this morning at the crack of dawn when I got off the phone after an argument with my friend Ross. (We argue about 2 million times a year, don't be alarmed.) I decided to make these to de-stress, which is partly the reason why I bake all the time. Nothing soothes like flour, milk and sugar, and in this case, peaches and cream!

Peach Cupcakes
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated orange zest
3/4 cup milk
8 slices canned peaches, diced

1. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and orange zest, beating well. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth. Fold in peaches or nectarines.

3. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated over for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.

Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

By the way, these cupcakes don't rise very much, so if you make them, make sure to fill the cupcake pans almost all the way to the top of the liner.

The nutmeg in these really make a big difference in the flavor! These are perhaps the yummiest cupcakes I've made in a long time. The peaches really help keep the cupcakes moist.

And here's the frosting, which is a basic cream cheese one but with a cup of whipped cream folded in. Airy and sweet! Paired with the cupcakes, it's really like a portable version of the good old peaches and cream.

Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

I got both these ideas from the web and have been wanting to try these out. The decorating idea was all mine though. I used a gummy peach ring to top each cupcake. Whether or not this makes it to the Wifely Steps deadline, these were fun to make.

And yeah, Ross and I are going to talk eventually, like we end up doing 2 million times a year. Ross, this is a peace offering. Even if you can't really eat them. I will eat one for you.

I was thinking, if I had to write an ad to sell these, the copy may include: "They're peachy cupcakes you'll be keen on!"

Ok, well, maybe not. Haha.