Summer Fest Ingredient: Stone Fruit

I’ve never met a cherry cobbler, peach clafouti or plum crisp I didn’t like. There’s just something quintessentially summer about desserts made with the season’s peak stone fruits. Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and I’m sold.

So while I opted to make a savory starter for last week’s Summer Fest ingredient, this week I sweetened the mix with the perfect marriage – fresh peaches baked into cupcakes that are then piled high with homemade cream cheese frosting. They’re simple, summery and 100% from scratch.

A full list of stone fruit recipes, tips and tricks from my fellow Summer Fest 2010 bloggers is after the jump …

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Peaches & Cream Cupcakes

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 22 min

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

3 cups cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups light sour cream
4 peaches, peeled, cored, and diced (small)
For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and a pinch of nutmeg.

Cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar then add in half of the eggs. Continue creaming the mixture and then add in the second half of the eggs, scraping down the bowl. Add the vanilla and then the sour cream.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and then gently fold in the diced peaches.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin tins for five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to completely cool while you make the frosting.

Beat together the cream cheese and softened butter until well incorporated.

Beat in the vanilla then slowly beat in the powdered sugar until the icing is smooth in texture. Spread on cooled cupcakes and top with cubed peaches (optional).

Cupcake recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Fellow Summer Fest 2010 Bloggers: