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.