Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

Thursday was one of my coworkers last days at work. He had been there for three years and is moving onto a very impressive federal position. Since I'm the one who started his training when he first started I'm pretty darn proud of him. Did I mention he is 22? 22 years old and he's got his life together better than most 30 year olds I know. So Thursday at work there was a going away party with pizza, pop, and other deliciously unhealthy things. I ran a few ideas past some of my coworkers and they all agreed that the peach and brown sugar frosting cupcakes sounded quite intriguing. I saved a few cupcakes for the owners of my borrowed kitchen and my husband. It only seems like a good way to help pay them for allowing me to use their kitchen.

I packaged the cakes in a large white cake box and brought them into work. The guys in the office pounced right away. They opened up the box and just about died from the wonderful smell of peaches and cream cheese! I didn't work so I didn't stick around to watch the cupcakes get eaten, but I can only imagine that they didn't last long. They never do.

Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 24 to 28 cupcakes

3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt
3 large peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped smallish



Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 28 muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition, and then the vanilla. Gently mix in the buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks.



Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners.



Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it thickens back up a bit, about 30 minutes, then spread or dollop on cooled cupcakes.



Tip: Cornstarch that gets added to this recipe is not a normal addition to cream cheese frosting. However, due to the lack of powdered sugar in this recipe, the cornstarch helps stabalize and thicken the frosting. You don't have to add it, but I would highly recommend doing so. If you don't the frosting will be very thin and runny.





Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

I know I said the next post would be of Peach Cupcakes and Mac n' Cheese, but I remembered that I made a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. This was just no ordinary cake. This cake was awesome!!! I saw the recipe on one of my favorite websites, The Smitten Kitchen (http://www.smittenkitchen.com/).

I absolutely had to make it. I brought into work for everyone to try and needless to say, with in the hour it was gone. This cake is so rich that the slices could be very thin. Two of the guys at work learned this the hard way. Not only were their slices not so thin, but each of them had two slices and almost made themselves sick from the sugar overload.

The secret ingredient that makes this cake super awesome and decadent is the peanut butter buttercream frosting that goes in between the layers and under the chocolate gnache. Oh silly me! Did I forget to mention there was chocolate Gnache on the cake too? Oh my...how dare I forget something that important. Well read on and get ready to make on of the best cakes you will ever make!

The original recipe from the Smitten Kitchen called for three 8-inch rounds, but I made two 9-inch rounds and then sliced them in half. I would not recommend this. When the cake was sliced the layers were too thin and could not support the weight of the frosting and gnache and the cake started to collapse on itself. Stick with the three 8-inch layers. It will turn out much prettier when cut and served.

This is what I was talking about, use three full, unsliced layers instead of two sliced.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

(note: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

A little "piece" of heaven in my borrowed kitchen

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half
1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.


And as an end note, there is nothing wrong or shameful about making a little extra of the frosting just to eat on your own!!!

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So this is a blog...

Well, this is my first time ever having a blog. I think the closest I've come in the past is Facebook. If you've checked out my profile I'm sure you have learned that I love to cook and bake. I've got a borrowed kitchen to work with and I'm currently working on getting my own. I hope to use this blog to post my favorite recipes as I make (and find new ones). I'll post pictures and any fun stories that happen with the recipes along the way. Tomorrow I will be making Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting, only to follow later on with a to die for Mac n' Cheese recipe, so stay tuned!!!