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Peach bellini cupcakes are a whimsical dessert that layer champagne-infused cake with peachy filling and a swirl of bright, fruity buttercream. Each bite is light and celebratory, making them the ideal treat for brunches, bridal showers, or any moment that deserves a little sparkle.
I baked these for my sister’s birthday brunch once and everyone thought I picked them up from a fancy bakery because they look as gorgeous as they taste. We all toasted with cupcakes instead of bubbly that morning.
Ingredients
- Egg whites: Six large ones help create an airy cupcake base make sure they are at room temperature for best volume
- Unsalted butter: Fresh for both cake and frosting use high quality for rich flavor
- Granulated sugar: Adds just the right sweetness look for fine crystals so it dissolves easily
- Fresh or canned peaches: Ripe peaches add both sweetness and moisture I try to use peak summer fruit when available
- All purpose flour: Choose unbleached for the softest crumb sift before measuring for best results
- Baking powder: Gives the cupcakes a gentle lift always check it is fresh
- Fine grain sea salt: Balances the sweetness use a pure unrefined variety if you can
- Champagne Prosecco or sparkling white wine: Brings delicate flavor and festive effervescence pick something you enjoy sipping
- Heavy cream: Richness for the pastry cream opt for full fat for the silkiest texture
- Cornstarch: Thickens the pastry cream without overpowering the flavors no lumps if you whisk well
- Whole egg and egg yolks: Help pastry cream set and add golden color use farm fresh if possible
- Vanilla extract: Just a hint rounds out the pastry cream use a real extract rather than imitation
- Confectioners sugar: Sweetens and thickens the buttercream sift to avoid lumps
- Peach flavoring oil or peach schnapps: Boosts the fruitiness look for LorAnn or substitute with schnapps for more dimension
- Milk or cream: To adjust the frosting texture whole milk works nicely
- Food coloring: Gel-based gives vivid color without watering down the texture use sparingly and build up gradually
- White nonpareils: For a classic elegant finish buy from a specialty baking shop if possible
- Fresh mint leaves: Brings a fresh fragrant pop use small tender leaves for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the Buttercream and Prepare Garnishes:
- Mix room temperature butter with sifted confectioners sugar in a mixer using a whisk attachment until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Add a splash of milk or cream and whip on medium high until light and fluffy. Beat in the peach flavoring. Gradually add gel food coloring until your desired hue is reached. Set up a piping bag fitted with a large French tip. Place a little red food color in a condiment cup then use a brush to paint a narrow stripe inside the decorator tip and along both sides of the piping bag.
- Fill the Cupcakes:
- With a sharp paring knife core out a small section from the center of each cupcake deep enough to hold a spoonful of filling but not all the way to the bottom. Reserve the cake pieces.
- Prepare and Fill with Pastry Cream:
- Make the champagne pastry cream following standard method whisking together eggs sugar cornstarch and heating with champagne and cream over gentle heat until thickened then stirring in butter and vanilla at the end. Once cooled spoon the cream into a clean piping bag and pipe one and one half to two tablespoons into each hollowed cupcake.
- Replace Cupcake Lids:
- Trim the reserved cake pieces flat so they rest neatly over the filled centers and gently press into place ensuring the tops are flush with the rest of the cupcake.
- Frost and Decorate:
- Twirl piped swirls of peach buttercream generously over the cupcakes. While the frosting is still soft scatter with a shower of white nonpareils. Finish each treat with a small fresh mint leaf just before serving for a festive look.
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Peaches are always my highlight They remind me of late summers in my grandmother’s garden where we would pick warm fruit and dream of what to bake next The scent of fresh peach always takes me straight back to those sunlit days
Storage Tips
Store finished cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Let them come to room temperature before serving so the buttercream softens and the flavors bloom again. If you only want to bake ahead freeze the plain cupcakes unfilled for up to one month and fill and frost fresh for your event.
Ingredient Substitutions
If peaches are out of season reach for high quality canned peaches packed in juice and drain well. Prosecco or sparkling cider makes a wonderful alcohol free substitute for champagne. You can swap out vanilla extract in the pastry cream for almond for a slightly nutty twist.
Serving Suggestions
These cupcakes are standouts on a brunch table or served as the grand finale at a birthday dinner. I love to set them on a vintage cake stand and pair them with chilled mimosas or a peach iced tea. For little gatherings tuck edible flowers next to the mint leaf for extra pop.
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Peach Bellini Traditions
Inspired by the classic Venetian cocktail these cupcakes nod to celebratory European brunches. The bellini itself was invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice and this cupcake brings all the sunny elegance of that drink home to your own table.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How do I achieve a strong peach flavor in these cupcakes?
Use fresh, ripe peaches and enhance with peach schnapps or concentrated peach flavoring oil for a pronounced taste.
- → Can I substitute champagne with another ingredient?
If needed, swap champagne or prosecco with sparkling white grape juice to create a non-alcoholic version.
- → What type of buttercream works best for topping?
A classic confectioners’ sugar buttercream thinned with milk or cream offers a light, fluffy texture ideal for piping.
- → How do I fill the cupcakes neatly with pastry cream?
Core each cupcake after baking, then use a piping bag to fill with pastry cream before sealing with reserved cake.
- → What are some decoration ideas for added elegance?
Try swirling tinted buttercream using gel colors, sprinkle with white nonpareils, and top each with a mint leaf just before serving.
- → What’s the best way to store these cupcakes?
Keep cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for freshness, allowing them to come to room temperature before serving.