Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

I seriously cannot believe it is already August; where has the time gone? It's amazing how at one point, summer felt so far away and in an instant, it's gone in a blink of an eye. I'm still looking forward to my vacation at the end of the month though - it seems like it has taken forever to come. 

I'll be going to Cancun, which I wasn't all too excited about at first because it's a little cliche and overrun with tourists, but I decided I was gonna make the best of it. I started researching all the awesome places to go, like here and here and here, and now I find myself incredibly excited. Underground caves? Yes, I'd like that, I'd like that very much. A fine example of why you shouldn't judge things too quickly.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure I made these last summer, goes to show how much of a procrastinator I am. But since it's summer now, these cupcakes are perfectly fitting for the season. We actually have gorgeous peach trees at home, both yellow and white, so I love baking with them. These cupcakes will inhabit your dreams, they do mine, while I reminisce about eating them last summer...

Full of fresh peach chunks and a tender cake, then topped with a crispy-crunchy top. On top of that, a fluffy frosting made of pudding mix! I wanted to try something new and I'm glad I did. It's perfectly rides the line between being too sweet and not sweet enough and it's velvety on the tongue. Definitely a home-y, comforting little cake.

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

Yields: 16 cupcakes

Cupcakes adapted from here. Frosting adapted from here.

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup peaches, skins removed, roughly chopped (about 2 medium)

For the crumble:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

For the peach-pudding buttercream:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 stick salted butter, room temperature

1 pkg. white chocolate instant pudding mix

1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy cream (depending on how thick you want your frosting)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of cardamom

1/2 cup powdered sugar (or more depending on your taste)

To make the crumble, mix everything in a bowl with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the peaches. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 full. Sprinkle each cupcake with about 1 tbsn. of the crumble mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

To make the frosting, in a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and silky. Turn the speed to low and add the pudding mix, when incorporated, slowly add in the cream, a little at a time. When fully incorporated, bring the speed up to high and beat for 5 - 7 minutes this ensures you beat the grit of the pudding mix out). Turn the speed back down to low and add the powdered sugar, tasting along the way. When it is sweet enough to your taste, beat again at high speed for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and spices then bring the speed back to low and beat for 3 minutes longer.

Coconut & Mango Curd Cupcakes

Don't you just love summer? It's starting to get hot in my part of town and even though I live for cold weather, the sun just has this way of making everything seem right in the world doesn't it? My favorite part of summer is all of the seasonal foods that come along with it - bright citruses, light salads and sweet mango! My all time favorite fruit is definitely the mango. I usually resist doing anything to it at all since it's perfect as is, but I wanted to try baking with it at least once before I resumed consuming them 5x a day.

So... I decided to make some lovely mango curd. I'm a big fan of curd - it's velvety, sweet and decadent. Mango curd just sounded ten times better! After successfully making a delicious mango curd, I then decided it would be an awesome idea to stuff some into some light coconut cupcakes. I wanted to try this small batch recipe for cupcakes I'd seen because sometimes you just want cupcakes... without having to eat all 24 of them or having to pawn them off on friends (haha... like that's ever been a problem).


The mango curd recipe yields much more than needed to fill these cupcakes, but I'm sure you'll find many more uses for it. This recipe for small-batch cupcakes is nothing short of amazing! The cupcakes came out fluffy, light and delicious - I could not believe it. The combination of the light cupcakes, velvety curd and fresh coconut on top is beyond. BEYOND! Really, you could use a light shmear of any type of frosting on top, but I just wanted something to moisten the tops just enough so that the shredded coconut would stick. Thinking about it now, you could just smear some curd on top to stick the coconut on and skip making the frosting all together.

Coconut & Mango Curd Cupcakes
Yields: 6 cupcakes

Coconut cupcakes adapted from here. Original curd recipe here. Frosting adapted from here.

For the cupcakes:

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/4 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

1/4 cup coconut milk


For the mango curd:

1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup mango puree

2 egg yolks

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

1/2 stick (4 tbsn.) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

For the flour frosting:

2 tbsn. flour

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup shredded coconut, for topping

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with 6 liners, set aside. In a bowl, whisk the egg and sugar until well combined. Add in the vanilla and melted butter and whisk until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and combine until no streaks remain. Mix in the coconut milk until smooth, then fold in the coconut flakes. Divide the batter among the 6 liners and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely. 

To make the mango curd, in a saucepan, whisk the sugar and cornstarch to combine. Whisk in the mango puree, egg yolks and vanilla seeds. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until thick, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tbsn. at a time until incorporated. Scrape the filling into a glass bowl and press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a film from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. 

To make the frosting, in a small saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of brownie batter. Remove and let cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, whisk in the vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until completely smooth and almost no sugary graininess is left. Add the flour mixture and beat the living daylights out it. If it looks separated, this means you still need to beat it some more. When finished, it should resemble whipped cream. 


To assemble the cupcakes, use a knife to scoop out some of the center of the cupcakes (set aside to consume later). Use a spoon to fill the hollowed cupcakes with 1 tbsn. of curd for each cupcake. Use an offset spatula to smear a thin layer of frosting across the tops of each cupcake. Dip each cupcake in the shredded coconut to cover. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

I think that a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie is one of the most comforting things in the world. I didn't have a mother who would bring me a warm tray of cookies and milk whenever I had a bad day or just because I was a good girl - not saying that's a bad thing though! I guess I never knew what I was missing, and I kind of just do that for myself now ;)

These are basically the love child of my obsession with cupcakes + my obsession with chocolate chip cookies. I think my babies are pretty cute, don't you?

I mean visually, these cupcakes are pretty stunning. Audibly, they're pretty stunning too. I mean, come on, if someone said to you, "Would you like a chocolate chip cookie cupcake?," how could you in your right mind say no or even hide the fact that saliva is dripping down your chin? These cupcakes are pretty spectacular taste-wise as well. Anything brown sugar is all kinds of right in my mind! I omitted the original cookie dough center in the recipe since I heard it was too sweet, but the cupcake this way was perfect.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Yields: about 12 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the brown sugar cupcakes:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the cookie dough frosting:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup flour

large pinch of salt

1 1/2 tbsn. milk

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mini chocolate chips, for decoration (optional)

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, stir to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour. To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth and well blended. Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

I think about food a lot. Maybe too much? Is that possible? I cook food, I eat food, I read about food, I take pictures of food - I think it really consumes my life. Sometimes I come across people who think of food as sustenance only and I get so confused. Food is so central to my life that it seems strange that people see it as such a small thing.

I'm always dreaming about what I'm going to be making next. While dreaming, I stumbled upon The Cupcake Project and her pumpkin pie frosting. Mind you, not pumpkin pie flavored frosting, actual, honest-to-goodness pumpkin pie AS frosting. Did I lose you? Let me break it down... a baked pumpkin pie filled into a piping bag and used as frosting! Genius right?


I knew exactly what I wanted to make: pumpkin pie cupcakes. So that's what we have here: a crispy graham cracker crust, vanilla cake and the creamiest pumpkin pie frosting. I think the perfect Fall treat!

The anatomy of a pumpkin pie cupcake:

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Yields: 15 cupcakes

Inspired by this; adapted from here and here.

For the cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 cups sugar

1/2 tbsn. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk, divided

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

For the graham cracker crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsn. light brown sugar

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted

For the pumpkin pie frosting:

2 large eggs, beaten

1 can (16 oz.) pureed pumpkin

2 tbsn. molasses

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tbsn. flour

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

The "frosting" should be made first as it takes the longest to bake and needs to cool before using. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a medium bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients until well combined. Pour the filling into a 9-inch round pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 F and continue cooking for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the filling comes out clean. Let cool completely before using.

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners, set aside. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the butter and 1/4 cup of milk. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. In another bowl, blend the eggs, egg white, remaining 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Add to the batter in 3 additions, mixing for 2 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions. Set aside.

To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. Add 1 tbsn. of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner and bake for 5 minutes until the graham crackers are golden. Remove from the oven then fill about 1/2 full with the cake batter. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. To frost, scoop the pumpkin pie "frosting" into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.

Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes & Being a Guest!

I made some lovely Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes, which you all MUST try since they are uberly delicious!

Be sure to check out my guest post on 6 Bittersweets for the recipe!


Thanks again Xiaolu for hosting me :D

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

I've been wanting to make Root Beer cupcakes for I don't even know how long, but there were always only two options: use root beer extract or use just root beer, which I've often heard doesn't impart much flavor into the cake. Then, I saw Baking Bites feature a new kind of root beer recipe, using root beer syrup!

I have to tell you, I was pretty excited. In her recipe, Nicole uses a store bought root beer syrup, but also provides directions on how to make the syrup with regular root beer, yipee! This recipe was pretty simple, and making the syrup was super simple too, so that was nice.

These cakes had a tight crumb and were moist, but sadly, I didn't achieve as much root beer flavor as I would have wanted. Maybe, after all, I will have to use root beer extract or real root beer syrup. Though, these were delicious nonetheless! Of course, topped with ice cream, how could it not be? The root beer glaze added some flavor too, but still, not enough to my liking :(

Root Bear Float Cupcakes

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the root beer syrup:

1 (12 oz.) bottle or can of non-diet root beer

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

6 tbsn. butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup root beer syrup

1/3 cup milk

vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)

For the root beer glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsn. root beer syrup

approx. 1 tbsn. water

To make the syrup, pour the root beer into a sauce pan and reduce it over medium heat until you have just over 1/3 of a cup left, set aside until ready to use. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the root beer syrup. Mix in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in the remaining flour until no dry streaks remain. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. To make the glaze, whisk together all the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and thin enough to drizzle easily. Add additional water if you want the glaze to be thinner.

Green Tea & Strawberry Cupcakes

Today's post will be short and sweet, just like these cupcakes!

Basically, if you combine a perfectly moist little matcha cupcake with the easiest fresh strawberry custard and top it with an impossibly perfect fresh strawberry swiss meringue buttercream, the results are spectacular!

And, of course you cannot deny how impossibly beautiful these things are. I love the combination of this green and pale pink together. But, the combination of green tea and strawberry is much, much better!

Perfectly domed cupcakes :)

1. Take a cupcake.

2. Cut a hole in the cupcake.

3. Fill the hole with strawberry custard.

4. Top with strawberry buttercream!

Green Tea & Strawberry Cupcakes with Custard Filling

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Adapted from here.

For the cake:

3/4 cup + 2 tbsn. cake flour

1/2 cup + 2 tbsn. all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsn. matcha powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the custard:

1 small box of instant vanilla pudding

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

10 - 15 large strawberries, washed and hulled (more or less, to your taste)

For the SMBC:

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 tbsn.), cut into 12 pieces

Strawberry puree or preserves

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and matcha powder. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the butter, mixing until the cubes of butter are peanut sized or a little smaller. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. With the mixer on medium speed, add the wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Divide the batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 17 - 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the custard, whip the first four ingredients together until it is well combined and begins to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. Place in refrigerator to let chill and thicken some more until ready to use. Chop the strawberries into small dices, and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Place some paper towels on top and place in the refrigerator to allow the water from the strawberries to seep out, about 10 minutes. Once most of the water has been released, fold the strawberries into the custard and continue to refrigerate until ready to use. To make the frosting, put the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water making sure the bottom does not actually touch the water. Stir the egg whites until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and place into the mixer stand. Beat until it becomes white and doubles in size. Add the vanilla on low speed, then add the butter, one piece at a time, making sure it is well mixed after each addition. Do not worry if it looks curdled, it will take some time for it to come together. Continue beating for 5 - 10 minutes until everything comes together. Add the strawberry puree or preserves until desired berry taste. Spread/ pipe/ smother onto your cupcakes and enjoy!!

The custard says, "Peek-a-boo!"