Did you know this week is national cupcake week? It motivated me to make my very first cupcakes. Feeling really fruity these days and intrigued by the thyme, I picked this recipe from a fabulous blog full of marvellous cupcake creations. Mine turned out to be pure moisture and fluffy happiness, their lovely taste spiked by the discrete but distinctive presence of thyme. That’s it, I’m hooked!
Late Summer Peach, Blueberry, and Thyme Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Recipe by: Chockylit, Cupcake Bake Shop blog Busy:35 min, Total prep time: 1h Serves: 10-12 cupcakes |
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
Quarter the peaches, remove the pits and cook for 15 mins on low-medium heat with one tablespoon of water in a thick bottomed saucepan. If the peaches release a lot of juices, leave uncovered. If not, simmer covered. Scrape regularly the caramelised layer at the bottom of the pan if needed.
When ready, remove the skins from the peach mix (optional) and mush up the peaches with the back of a fork. I quite like the texture cooked nectarine or peach skins add to the mix, so I leave them in. Try one and if you like it, leave them in. If not, take them out.
In an electric mixer beat the butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and egg yolk and beat until just combined.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to the mixer along with the milk and beat until just combined. Be careful when using an electric mixer as it is easy to over beat the batter, which will cause the cupcakes to lose their moisture and harden. My advice is that once you add the eggs, either switch to manual stirring with a wooden spoon or stay near your mixer to stop it as soon as the ingredients are blended.
If using, chop the thyme leaves.
Fold 120 ml of the peach mush (1/2Â cup), the blueberries and thyme into the batter.
Scoop the mixture into cupcake papers or a muffin tray about two-thirds full.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the blade of a knife inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Prepare the frosting (while the cupcakes are baking):
Beat the butter vigorously with an electric mixer.
Scrape the bowl and add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Assemble:
Top cooled cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with thyme leaves (optional) or top each cupcake with a blueberry.
Prepare the cupcakes:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
Quarter the peaches, remove the pits and cook for 15 mins on low-medium heat with one tablespoon of water in a thick bottomed saucepan. If the peaches release a lot of juices, leave uncovered. If not, simmer covered. Scrape regularly the caramelised layer at the bottom of the pan if needed.
When ready, remove the skins from the peach mix (optional) and mush up the peaches with the back of a fork. I quite like the texture cooked nectarine or peach skins add to the mix, so I leave them in. Try one and if you like it, leave them in. If not, take them out.
In an electric mixer beat the butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and egg yolk and beat until just combined.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to the mixer along with the milk and beat until just combined. Be careful when using an electric mixer as it is easy to over beat the batter, which will cause the cupcakes to lose their moisture and harden. My advice is that once you add the eggs, either switch to manual stirring with a wooden spoon or stay near your mixer to stop it as soon as the ingredients are blended.
If using, chop the thyme leaves.
Fold 120 ml of the peach mush (1/2Â cup), the blueberries and thyme into the batter.
Scoop the mixture into cupcake papers or a muffin tray about two-thirds full.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the blade of a knife inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Prepare the frosting (while the cupcakes are baking):
Beat the butter vigorously with an electric mixer.
Scrape the bowl and add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Assemble:
Top cooled cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with thyme leaves (optional) or top each cupcake with a blueberry.
Obviously I could not follow the recipe exactly (I never do, unless it is one of mine!). I reduced the sugar in the frosting and caramelized the peaches in a saucepan instead of baking them - tastier and faster (for the original recipe, go here). I was left with plenty of frosting so if your mixer can handle small volumes I suggest halving the frosting quantities. I did not have paper cups so I used hand cut disks of baking paper stuffed in my muffin tray instead. If you want to save time the paper is not really necessary, I baked some of the cupcakes without it and they turned out as well (if not as pretty)
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
2 peaches or nectarines
110 g unsalted butter, room temperature
200 g (1 cup) sugar
1 extra large egg and one egg yolk
175 g (1-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
120 ml (1 cup) milk
100 g blueberries
2 teaspoons loosely packed, fresh thyme leaves (optional)
For the frosting:
110 g cream cheese
25 g butter
200 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cupcakes:
2 peaches or nectarines
110 g unsalted butter, room temperature
200 g (1 cup) sugar
1 extra large egg and one egg yolk
175 g (1-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
120 ml (1 cup) milk
100 g blueberries
2 teaspoons loosely packed, fresh thyme leaves (optional)
For the frosting:
110 g cream cheese
25 g butter
200 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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