Peach Season

Around May 1, my husband starts getting excited for peach season.  Each Sunday, we stroll to the farmers market, and each Sunday, there’s a little more pep in his step.

“They’ll be here soon,” he’ll let me know, as if I might have forgotten that aside from sports, this is the thing in life to which he looks forward more than any other.

See, where my sweet tooth craves cupcakes, cookies, and most of all, ice cream, his pines for the natural sugar found in fruit.  Strawberries, raspberries, and best of all, peaches.  And he says this year’s have been better than ever.

So the other day, while no one was looking, I stole two.  I chopped them up, and slipped them into a batter so thin, I almost wondered if I should be making pancakes, and baked them.

And no fruit, not one, single, fruit, has ever held up to a baked good better.  Deb has these everyday cakes that are magical.  The ones with fruit are my particular favorites because of the way the sugars caramelize and the fruit melts into your fork with each bite.

But this one was different.  These peaches were not to be deterred by a foray into the oven.

They stayed their plump, juicy little selves thankyouverymuch.  You get a piece in every bite.

To make a dozen of these, you will need:

For the cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 C cake flour (make your own)
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pinch nutmeg
• 6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 C buttermilk (or sour cream, or plain, full fat yogurt)
• 1 1/2 large peaches, small diced

For the frosting:

• scant 3/4 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C cornstarch (to help thicken the frosting)
• 3/4 C to 1 C powdered sugar
• 1, 8 oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugars in bowl till fluffy and lighter in color, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in egg till combined.  Slowly add buttermilk.  Scrape down sides if necessary.  Then, a little at a time, add flour mixture.  Fold in peaches by hand.  Pour batter into liners till they are two-thirds full.  Bake cupcakes 18 minutes, or until tops spring back when pressed gently.

Once cupcakes are cool, make frosting.  In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, cornstarch, and powdered sugar till combined.  In another bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together till smooth and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract.  Slowly add sugar mixture and beat till smooth.  Frost cupcakes and enjoy as soon as possible.