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Bubbly peach bellini cupcakes mash champagne-soaked cake with juicy peach filling and clouds of fruity buttercream on top. They're airy and lively in every bite. Bring these cuties to brunch, bridal showers, or any get-together needing a little fun.
Once, I made a batch for my sister’s birthday breakfast and the whole crew swore they were straight from a luxury bakery. Instead of toasting with actual bubbly, we clinked cupcakes that morning!
Lively Ingredients
- Fresh mint leaves: Little leafy sprigs on top add brightness and look so inviting
- White nonpareils: Tiny sugar pearls bring a pretty touch add after frosting
- Food coloring: Go for gel types to keep icing smooth and skip watery messes dot in slowly and build up color
- Milk or cream: Smooths out the frosting whole milk works great
- Peach flavoring oil or peach schnapps: Intensifies peachiness LorAnn is my go-to but schnapps works too
- Confectioners sugar: Sweetens up and thickens buttercream sift first so you don’t get clumps
- Vanilla extract: Real vanilla keeps the pastry cream cozy and rich stay away from fake stuff
- Whole egg and egg yolks: Make the cream golden and help it set nicely grab farm-fresh if you can
- Cornstarch: Makes pastry cream thick and dreamy whisk well for smooth results
- Heavy cream: Use for silky pastry cream choose it full-fat for the best texture
- Champagne Prosecco or sparkling white wine: Lifts the flavors and adds bubbles go with your favorite
- Fine grain sea salt: Cuts down on the sweetness pure unrefined kinds work best
- Baking powder: Helps the cupcakes puff make sure it’s fresh for best rise
- All purpose flour: Go for unbleached sift before you scoop for softest cakes
- Fresh or canned peaches: Super ripe ones bring juiciness and sunny flavor peak summer fruit if you can find it
- Granulated sugar: Gives perfect sweetness look for the fine stuff so it melts in
- Unsalted butter: Use the good kind fresh is best both for cake and icing
- Egg whites: Six big ones do the trick let them warm up to room temp for max fluffiness
Step-by-Step Directions
- Finish with Buttercream and Toppings:
- Pipe generous swirls of peachy icing on top then quickly toss over some white nonpareils. Drop a mint leaf on each cupcake right before you hand them out so they look straight-up festive.
- Pop Lids on Cupcakes:
- Trim the circles of saved cake so they fit snugly. Place flat over the pastry cream and press gently until everything’s even with the top.
- Mix Up Pastry Cream:
- Make the boozy pastry cream by whisking eggs sugar and cornstarch then gently heating with champagne and heavy cream until thick. When smooth, stir in butter and vanilla to finish. Cool it off, then move to a piping bag and fill each cupcake center with a generous spoonful.
- Core the Cupcakes:
- Take a paring knife and carefully cut a plug from the middle of each cupcake. Don’t go too far down—just enough to fit a good scoop of filling. Save the bits you took out for lids later.
- Whip Buttercream and Ready Toppings:
- Beat softened butter and pre-sifted confectioners sugar in a mixer with a whisk until fluffy and light. Splash in some milk or cream, turn up the speed, and toss in the peach flavor. Add your gel food color bit by bit until it looks right. Slip this into a piping bag with a big French tip. Paint a stripe inside the tip and both sides of your bag with a bit of red food color using a tiny brush or toothpick.
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Peaches always feel like the best part of the year for me. They make me think about sneaking under my grandma’s trees for warm, fuzzy fruit with juice running down my arms. The smell of fresh peaches always drops me straight back to those lazy, golden afternoons.
How to Store Them
Pop finished cupcakes in a tightly sealed container in the fridge and they’ll keep for up to three days. For the best soft icing and flavor, let them hang out at room temp before you dig in. If you’re prepping for later, freeze the unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes for up to a month and fill and top them fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredient Swaps
No fresh peaches? Grab top-notch canned peaches in juice, just drain them well. Need it booze-free? Sparkling cider or Prosecco works great instead of champagne. Feeling bold? Try almond extract in the pastry cream for a cozy nutty twist instead of vanilla.
How to Serve
Make these the main event for brunch, or bring them out as a grand finish at dinner. I like piling them on an old cake pedestal and pouring out icy peach tea or chilled mimosas. For a fun touch at small gatherings, tuck a few edible flowers next to the mint on top.
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Bellini Traditions
These playful cupcakes borrow from the sunny spirit of the classic Venetian bellini cocktail. The original was invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice and making these at home brings a bit of that breezy brunch feeling to your table.
Common Recipe Questions
- → What's the easiest way to get a punchy peach taste in the cakes?
Go for juicy, in-season peaches and kick up the flavor with a splash of peach schnapps or a little peach oil.
- → Is there a good non-alcoholic swap for champagne?
Absolutely. You can switch out the bubbly for sparkling white grape juice and keep everything booze-free.
- → Which kind of frosting pipes the nicest?
Go classic—use powdered sugar buttercream, loosen it a bit with cream or milk, and you'll get a light, fluffy swirl.
- → How can I get the cream into the middle without making a mess?
After baking, pop out the center with a corer, pipe in the cream, and use the cake you took out to plug the top.
- → Any fun ways to decorate and dress these up?
Swoop tinted peachy icing on top, sprinkle with white nonpareils, and toss a fresh mint leaf on for a fancy bite right before eating.
- → How should I keep these fresh until serving?
Stash 'em in a sealed container in the fridge, then let them hang out at room temp so they're soft and tasty before sharing.