Peaches & Cream Cupcakes {with Strawberries}

Peaches are in season these days in Colorado (and by in season I mean perfectly sweet, ripe, and juicy- heaven!). It seemed very fitting to choose a peachy recipe for cupcakes - so feast your eyes on these gorgeous babies! I'd like you to meet the best Peaches-and-Cream (and Strawberries) Cupcake recipe on earth. Best of all, its a high-altitude recipe - meaning the cupcakes actually come out moist and soft and light. Like my Mom, I'm a bake-from-scratch person. I definitely enjoy the satisfaction of starting with basic ingredients and ending up with something spectacular and delicious. The trouble is, I live in Denver - the Mile High City - meaning baking isn't so straightforward. This recipe really delivered. So, without further ado, the recipe: 

Peaches and Cream Cupcakes (with Strawberries) - High Altitude Recipe
Makes 30 cupcakes

Ingredients: 

For the cupcakes:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon strawberry extract (optional - use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract if you prefer)
3 eggs + 1 egg white
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped peaches, skins removed
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

For the whipped cream frosting:

1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two cupcake pans with liners.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium low speed until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add vanilla extract. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add and blend half of the dry ingredients, the milk, and then the other half of the dry ingredients. Try not to over blend at this stage, as it can over work the flour and make your cupcakes dense. Once everything is mixed together, fold in the peeled, chopped peaches and chopped strawberries.

Fill each cupcake wrapper three-quarters full with batter. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the whipped cream frosting, whip together the cream and maple syrup in a large bowl on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form, about 1-3 minutes. While whipping, taste your cream. Add more maple syrup if you feel it should be sweeter. Refrigerate until cupcakes are cool.

These babies are piped using the ziploc bag method. Easy, cheap, and available. Works for me!

{recipe adapted from She Makes and Bakes}

This recipe is definitely a keeper.


Love,


Caitlin