Welcome to a delightful journey where the elegance of Bellinis meets the joy of cupcakes, crafting a treat that’s as refreshing as a summer breeze. Peach Bellini Cupcakes are not just a dessert; they’re an experience, a perfect blend of bubbly champagne and sweet peaches encased in a soft, fluffy embrace. Today, we dive into a recipe that promises to be the crown jewel of any gathering, a sweet tribute to the classic cocktail that has graced many a celebration.
Ingredients Spotlight
Before we don our aprons, let’s acquaint ourselves with the stars of our show:
- For the Cupcakes: We begin with a simple yet sophisticated base, incorporating egg whites, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar, sifted together with all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a hint of sea salt. The magic unfolds with the addition of champagne (or prosecco) and fresh (or canned) peaches, creating a melody of flavors that sing with each bite.
- Champagne Pastry Cream: A luxurious filling awaits with heavy cream, cornstarch, eggs, more champagne, and a dash of vanilla extract, combining to form a creamy, dreamy core that promises a surprise with every bite.
- Peach Buttercream: To crown our creation, a buttercream frosting infused with peach flavoring oil (or peach schnapps) and tinted with a trio of gel food colors to achieve the perfect peachy hue, adorned with white nonpareils and optional fresh mint leaves for a touch of elegance.
Baking Your Masterpiece
Cupcake Base
- Prep and Mix: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining your cupcake pans. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, then gradually mix in your dry ingredients alternately with champagne, finishing with the diced peaches.
- Fold and Bake: Gently fold a portion of the egg whites into your batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest. Spoon the batter into your prepared pans, and bake for 18-22 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for a moment, then transfer to a wire rack.
Champagne Pastry Cream
- Whisk and Boil: Combine part of your heavy cream with cornstarch and eggs. In a saucepan, mix the remaining cream, sugar, and champagne, and bring to a boil. Gradually mix this into your egg mixture, then return it all to the heat until it thickens. Off the heat, add butter and vanilla, then let it cool before chilling in the fridge.
Peach Buttercream
- Whip and Color: Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar, adding milk or cream as needed. Flavor with peach, then divide and color the frosting to your liking. Paint the inside of your piping bag with red food color for a beautiful effect when piping.
Assembly: The Final Flourish
- Fill and Frost: Core your cupcakes and fill them with the chilled pastry cream. Replace the tops, then pipe on your peach buttercream, adding a sprinkle of nonpareils and a mint leaf for garnish.
These Peach Bellini Cupcakes offer a bite of bliss, a delicate balance of flavors that mirror the essence of the beloved cocktail. Whether it’s a celebration, a gathering of friends, or simply a moment of indulgence, these cupcakes promise to elevate the occasion. So, here’s to a sweet toast, to cupcakes that bubble with joy and celebration in every bite! Happy baking!
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Peach Bellini Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1 hour 7 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
Description
Indulge in the decadent delight of Peach Bellini Cupcakes, a fusion of elegance and flavor. Each moist cupcake is infused with the effervescence of champagne and the sweetness of ripe peaches, offering a tantalizing experience for your taste buds. Topped with luxurious champagne pastry cream and peach buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are a celebration in every bite.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
6 large egg whites
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup champagne or prosecco or other sparkling white wine
2/3 cup fresh peaches, diced 1/4″ or diced canned peaches
Champagne pastry cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup champagne or prosecco
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peach buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
Milk or cream to thin
1/2 teaspoon LorAnn peach flavoring oil or 2 tablespoons peach schnapps
Chefmaster neon brite yellow soft gel food color
Chefmaster neon brite orange soft gel food color
Chefmaster red red soft gel food color
2 tablespoons white nonpareils
16–18 small fresh mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with 18 paper liners. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks; set aside.
In another bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In yet another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the champagne. Stir in the chopped peaches.
Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until incorporated. Then, fold in the remaining egg whites.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Champagne pastry cream:
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and the cornstarch. Whisk in the whole egg and egg yolks. Set aside.
Combine the remaining heavy cream, sugar, and champagne in a saucepan; bring to a boil then remove from the heat. Pour 1/3 of the hot champagne mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs do not cook. Return the remaining champagne/heavy cream mixture to a boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Let cool to room temperature. Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap so it doesn’t form a skin. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Peach buttercream:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add milk or cream a little at a time until the mixture is light, fluffy, and of piping consistency. Add the peach flavor and beat again until incorporated. Add food color a little at a time until desired hue is achieved.
Fit a disposable piping bag with a large French pastry tip. Squeeze a little of the red food color into a condiment cup. Dip a kitchen-dedicated soft bristle brush into the red food color and paint a thick line inside the decorator tip and all the way up the length of the bag. Repeat this step for the opposite side of the bag.
Assembly:
Core the cupcakes by cutting out a small divot in the centers with a paring knife; save the pieces. Transfer the pastry cream to a disposable piping bag and fill each cupcake with about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the pastry cream. Trim the cut-out cake pieces flat to create “lids” and place them onto the filled divots.
Pipe a swirl of frosting onto a cupcake and immediately sprinkle a pinch of the white nonpareils on top. Repeat this process with each cupcake until all of the cupcakes are frosted and sprinkled. Just before serving, add a fresh mint leaf to each cupcake.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes