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Irresistible Peach Cupcakes with Dreamy Vanilla Buttercream

by HealthMatters September 7, 2024, 3:32 am 1k Views

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My easy peach cupcakes are a fun and delicious way to enjoy the flavors of traditional peach cobbler, all packed into a moist and light cupcake. They’re ideal for dessert lovers, home bakers, or anyone who appreciates gourmet-style cupcakes. With a cinnamon-spiced base, a sweet peach pie filling in the middle, and a silky smooth vanilla buttercream on top, these cupcakes are sure to become one of your favorite peach recipes!

Peach cupcakes topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting and stewed peaches on a white plate

I absolutely love the flavors of peach cobbler! So much so that I took the classic Southern recipe and even created my own vegan peach cobbler and a peach cobbler pound cake, both of which are divine!

But then I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to combine everything I love about peach cobbler with everything I love about cake? The result was these peach cupcakes! I like to think of them as a handheld twist on traditional cobbler that’s super yummy and really easy to make.

Make sure to give some of my other Southern-inspired recipes a try too! Favorites include my biscuits without baking powder, vegetarian black eyed peas, and healthy cornbread.

My peach cupcake recipe has all the comforting Southern flavors that I love, thanks to the sweet juicy peaches and the warm notes of cinnamon and vanilla in the cupcakes. My cupcakes are perfectly soft and fluffy, and have just the right amount of sweet peach flavor. It’s a dessert that’s both familiar and irresistibly delicious.

I also love that while they look gourmet, they are simple to make. My recipe doesn’t call for any fancy, expensive ingredients or special baking skills, making them perfect for beginners. I can make these impressive sweet treats without spending hours in the kitchen.

Plus, these cupcakes are kid-approved and great for any occasion. Their handheld size makes them easy to transport, whether I’m bringing them to a party, potluck, or my kid’s school event. They’re always a crowd pleaser.

But my favorite thing is that I don’t have to wait for peach season! My peach filling for cupcakes can be made with fresh, canned, or frozen peaches and the recipe is versatile. I can easily customize them with other flavors as well as make them vegan, gluten-free, or even lower in sugar with a few simple swaps.

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

You likely already have most of what you need to make these cupcakes with peaches. My recipe calls for simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. For the exact amounts and nutritional info, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Peaches: You can make my peach cupcakes with canned peaches, fresh peaches, or frozen peaches. They all work perfectly for the peach pie filling.

Brown Sugar: Used to sweeten the filling and the cupcake batter, I like to use light brown sugar for the deep molasses flavor. You could also use granulated sugar, cane sugar, or coconut sugar if you prefer.

Butter: Added for richness to both the filling and cupcakes, it adds depth of flavor that complements the peaches. Butter is also used as the base of my buttercream frosting. I typically use unsalted butter in desserts.

Salt: Salt is an important ingredient in baking that helps to balance sweetness and enhance flavors. I add a pinch to the filling and cake batter.

Cornstarch: Also called cornflour, I use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the filling. A slurry is simply cornstarch mixed with a little water.

All-Purpose Flour: Simple all purpose flour forms the base of my cupcake batter. If you’re gluten free, use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Baking Powder: I use this powerful leavening agent to make my cupcakes light and fluffy.

Ground Cinnamon: For a little aromatic warm spice, I blend some ground cinnamon into the batter. Pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg would be equally delicious here.

Lemon Juice: The acid in the lemon juice helps to bring out the sweetness of the peaches and gives the milk a buttermilk-like taste.

Milk: I use milk to add moisture and richness to the cupcakes. Feel free to use dairy milk or plant-based milk such as oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk.

Vanilla: Gives the cupcakes and buttercream their vanilla taste. I recommend using pure vanilla extract for the most intense flavor.

Egg: Works to bind the batter together and provide structure. I use a room-temperature egg so the ingredients emulsify properly.

Powdered Sugar: Some people call it icing sugar too, powdered sugar sweetens the frosting and gives it structure. I always sift my powdered sugar to break up any lumps.

Heavy Cream: I add a little bit of heavy cream to the frosting to thin it out and give it a velvety smooth consistency.

🔪 How To Make Peach Cupcakes

This recipe for peach cupcakes is much easier than you might think. Even if you’re new to baking, you can master this dessert by following my easy instructions. Watch my video below to see the step-by-step process.

Make Filling: I begin preparing my peach cupcake filling by adding all of the ingredients to a pot, except the cornstarch. Then I heat the mixture over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Peaches and butter being cooked in a large stock pot

Thicken Filling: In a medium bowl, I mix the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water to form a slurry. Then I pour it into the cooked peaches, stirring continuously until the filling thickens. Once thickened, I remove the pot from the heat and allow the filling to cool.

Preheat Oven: Before starting the cupcakes, I preheat my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and line a 12-cavity cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

Prep Ingredients: I sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, I stir the lemon juice, milk, and vanilla extract together and set both bowls aside.

Dry ingredients for pancakes mixed in a bowl

Cream Butter And Sugar: To begin the batter, I put the softened butter and brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. I cream them together on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Then I add the egg and mix until combined. You can also use an electric mixer.

Batter being mixed in a large mixing bowl

Add Wet And Dry Ingredients: First, I add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed to incorporate. Then I add half of the wet ingredients and mix again. I scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finally, I add the remaining wet and dry ingredients and mix for another 2-3 minutes until well combined.

Cupcake batter being mixed in a mixing bowl

Bake: When the batter is ready, I use a large ice cream scoop to evenly divide it among the 12 liners in the cupcake pan. Then I put the cupcakes in the oven and let them bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cupcake batter added to a prepared cupcake pan ready to go into the oven

Cool: After removing the cupcakes from the oven, I let them cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Start Buttercream: To make the vanilla frosting, I start by putting the softened butter and powdered sugar into the bowl of my stand mixer and beat them together on medium speed for 4-5 minutes.

Vanilla buttercream frosting being mixed in the bowl of a stand mixer

Add Vanilla And Cream: To finish the buttercream, I add the vanilla extract and heavy cream, and mix for another 1-2 minutes until nice and smooth.

Cupcake frosting being mixed in a mixing bowl

Form Holes: Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, I use a small knife to remove the center of each one, making sure not to cut all the way to the bottom. This is where the filling will go.

Baked cupcakes cooling on a baking sheet with the centers being cut out

Add Filling: After all the holes are formed in my cupcakes, I fill each one with the peach filling. I don’t use it all, as I reserve some of it for the top of the cupcakes.

Peach cobbler cupcakes on a baking sheet with a spoon coring out the centers of the cupcakes

Frost: To add the buttercream, I use a pastry bag to pipe some on top of each cupcake. You could also use a spoon.

Peach filled cupcakes topped with a buttercream frosting on a baking sheet

Finish And Serve: To complete my cupcakes, I add a little bit of the reserved peach filling to the top of each one. You can also top them with fresh peach slices! Now, I serve them to my family to enjoy!

Chunky peach filling added to tops of peach cupcakes on a baking sheet

My #1 Secret Tip when making my peach cupcakes recipe is to always use room temperature butter, eggs, and milk, which blend more smoothly into the batter and create a better texture.

Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle or result in dense, uneven cupcakes. This is equally important when making buttercream frosting. If the butter is too cold, it won’t whip properly, leading to a lumpy or uneven texture.

To bring the ingredients to room temperature, I let them sit out for about 30 minutes before starting the recipe. This small step can make a big difference in the final outcome.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Use Ripe Peaches: If I’m using canned or frozen sliced peaches, they’re already picked at peak ripeness. However, if I’m making peach cupcakes with fresh peaches I make sure to only use ripe fruit. Unripe peaches are too firm and tart.
Remove The Skin: Peach skin doesn’t break down well and will impact the texture and taste of the filling. For fresh peach cupcakes, I always peel the skin. You can use a knife, vegetable peeler, or blanch them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then transfer them to an ice bath and the skins will slip right off!
Don’t Overmix: When I add the wet and dry ingredients, I do so in stages, mixing just until they’re incorporated. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop too much, leading to dense, tough cupcakes instead of a light and fluffy texture.
Use A Mixer: Making the cupcake batter and buttercream frosting with a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer not only saves time but also helps prevent overmixing. These tools allow me to cream the butter and sugar to the perfect consistency and create velvety fluffy frosting.
Cool Completely: I let both the filling and the cupcakes cool completely before I start assembling. If the filling is still warm, it can become runny, and if the cupcakes are warm, the frosting can melt and slide off.
Carefully Core: When making peach filled cupcakes I’m careful when removing the centers and don’t cut all the way to the bottom. Leaving a little base helps keep the structure intact, so the filling stays inside and the cupcake doesn’t fall apart when you eat it. A cupcake corer is a handy tool for this, but a small knife works just as well.
Top The Cupcakes: If you don’t have a piping bag to apply the buttercream, you can still achieve a beautiful finish. Use a small spoon to dollop the frosting on top of each cupcake, then use the back of the spoon to spread it out in a swirl.

📖 Variations

Gluten Free: To make them gluten free, I simply replace the all purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that contains xanthan gum. You could also try gluten-free oat flour, but the cupcakes may be a little dense.

Vegan: It’s really easy to make vegan peach cupcakes by using vegan butter, almond milk, and a flax egg. To make a flax egg all you have to do is mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water and let it sit for about 5 minutes to become an egg-like consistency. For the frosting, you can use vegan butter and swap the heavy cream for coconut cream.

Low Sugar: If I want to make this recipe a little lower in sugar I reduce the amount of frosting on each cupcake by half or even ⅔, and that cuts about 15-20 grams of sugar from each cupcake! You could even omit the frosting altogether.

Box Cake Mix: Sometimes there just isn’t enough time to make homemade batter, but you can easily make my peach cupcakes with cake mix instead. I recommend using yellow cake mix, vanilla cake mix, or white cake mix, and stirring some ground cinnamon into the batter.

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes: Turn this into a peach cobbler cupcake recipe! Make a crumble topping like the one I use for my cinnamon streusel muffins and sprinkle a little on top before baking the cupcakes or bake the crumble separately and then top your iced cupcakes with it! You could even top them with some leftover crumbled pie crust to make peach pie cupcakes.

Peaches And Cream Cupcakes: If you’re a fan of classic peaches and cream, leave off the buttercream and top your cupcakes with some whipped cream instead!

Honey Peach Cupcakes: Infuse your cupcakes with natural sweetness by replacing the brown sugar in the filling with honey. You can even drizzle a little honey over the frosting for an extra touch of sweetness and shine. If you’re vegan, my vegan honey works perfectly!

Peach Buttercream: Make peach cupcakes with peach buttercream! Simply add some pureed peaches or peach preserves to your frosting for a more peachy flavor. I suggest adding a couple of tablespoons at a time so you don’t thin out the frosting too much.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Instead of buttercream try making peach cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. The tangy cream cheese works well with the peaches. My keto carrot cake cream cheese frosting would be perfect. You could even blend in a little ground cinnamon and top them with cinnamon cream cheese frosting!

Other Filling Flavors: Experiment with your peach filling by incorporating additional flavors. You could mix in some candied ginger for a warm, spicy kick, shredded coconut for a tropical flair, or raspberry jam for a sweet-tart contrast.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

My cupcakes are versatile and can be enjoyed in various ways, whether you’re looking for a simple treat or something more indulgent. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:

With Beverages: Pair them with a warm beverage to highlight their cozy, comforting flavors. My lavender latte, Biscoff latte, or oatmilk honey latte would be perfect. If you want something more refreshing and keeping with the peach theme, serve them with my peach milk or banana peach smoothie.

With Ice Cream: For a truly indulgent dessert, serve them with a scoop of my mango nice cream, lychee ice cream, or caramel nice cream. They would also be delicious with my coconut milkshake.

🫙 Storage Directions

Room Temperature: I store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm or humid, you might want to consider refrigerating them to prevent the frosting from becoming too soft or melting.

Fridge: If I need to store them longer, I move them to the fridge where they will keep for about 4 days. However, be aware that refrigeration can cause the cupcakes to lose some of their moisture, making them slightly drier. I suggest taking the cupcakes out of the fridge a few hours before serving to allow them to come back to room temperature, which will help restore some of their original texture and flavor.

Freezer: Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t freeze well. It’s best to enjoy these cupcakes within a few days of making them for the best experience.

❓Recipe FAQs

CAN YOU ADD FRUIT TO CUPCAKE BATTER?

Whether you’re making fresh or canned peach cupcakes, you can add fruit to cupcake batter. However, I recommend draining any excess moisture, cutting the fruit into small pieces, and tossing it in flour before folding it into the batter to prevent it from sinking to the bottom.

WHY IS MY FILLING RUNNY?

If your filling is runny, it likely didn’t thicken enough during cooking. This can happen if the cornstarch wasn’t fully dissolved before adding it to the peaches, or if the mixture wasn’t cooked long enough. If this happens, I return the filling to the heat and stir in a little more cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water), cooking until it thickens.

HOW DO I FIX BROKEN BUTTERCREAM? WHY DID IT SPLIT?

Buttercream can split if the ingredients aren’t at the right temperature or if too much liquid was added at once. This is why I recommend adding ingredients in steps. To fix broken buttercream, try warming the mixture slightly by placing the bowl over a pot of simmering water, then beat it again until it comes together. If the buttercream is too warm, cool it in the fridge for a few minutes, then re-whip to restore its smooth texture.

📋 Recipe Card

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