Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

What the heck are these?

So last summer I had this ridiculous amount of peaches from my neighbor’s tree (seriously, they were practically throwing them at me), and I was getting tired of cobbler and pie. I started messing around with cupcake ideas and landed on these little beauties. They’re super moist cupcakes infused with honey and real peaches, topped with this ridiculous cream cheese frosting that’s swirled with peach preserves. They’re basically summer in cupcake form, and people literally fight over them at potlucks. I’ve seen grown adults hide these in napkins to take home. Not even kidding.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Look, I’m not saying these will change your life, but actually, they might:

• These cupcakes are STUPID moist from the honey and fresh peaches (none of that dry, crumbly nonsense).
• The flavor combo is just chef’s kiss – sweet honey, juicy peaches, and tangy cream cheese.
• They’re fancy enough for special occasions but not so complicated that you’ll lose your mind making them.
• People will think you went to pastry school or something.
• They work with fresh peaches when they’re in season OR with frozen/canned when they’re not (I won’t tell if you don’t).
• That frosting? You’ll want to eat it with a spoon. I may or may not have done this at 2am.
• They’re not that one-note sweet that makes your teeth hurt – the cream cheese gives it this perfect balance.

The Good Stuff You’ll Need

For the Cupcakes:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (the regular stuff, nothing fancy)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (leave it out for like an hour before baking)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup honey (the good stuff if you’ve got it, but whatever’s in your cabinet works)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature (seriously, cold eggs mess everything up)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (real, not that fake stuff)
• ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (either works, I’ve tried both)
• 1½ cups fresh peaches, peeled and diced small (about 2-3 peaches)
• Optional but awesome: ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (full-fat, because we’re not here to diet)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar (yes, FOUR cups – trust me)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt (sounds weird but makes the sweet taste better)
• ⅓ cup peach preserves or thick peach jam
• Optional: a few drops of orange or peach food coloring for a prettier color

For the Topping (Optional but makes them look professional):

• Extra peach preserves for drizzling
• Thin fresh peach slices
• Sprinkle of turbinado sugar (that chunky brown sugar)
• Tiny mint leaves if you’re feeling extra fancy

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Let’s Do This

First, Get Your Cupcakes Ready (15 minutes prep, 18-20 minutes baking):

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners – this recipe makes about 15-18 cupcakes, so you might need two tins.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices if using. Set this aside.
3. Peel and dice your peaches into small pieces (like, pencil-eraser sized). If your peaches are super juicy, pat them with a paper towel – we want their flavor but not ALL their moisture.
4. In a large bowl (or stand mixer if you’re fancy like that), beat the butter, sugar, and honey until it’s fluffy – like, really fluffy. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Don’t skimp on this step! It’s what makes the cupcakes light.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Then add the vanilla. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point – that’s totally normal, don’t panic.
6. Here’s where it gets specific: add about a third of your flour mixture, mix just until combined, then add half the sour cream. Repeat with another third of flour, the rest of the sour cream, then end with the last of the flour. This whole process should be done with a light hand – overmixing = tough cupcakes.
7. GENTLY fold in the diced peaches with a spatula. Your batter will be pretty thick, and that’s perfect.
8. Scoop the batter into your cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full. I use an ice cream scoop for this because I’m terrible at eyeballing even amounts.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched. They should be lightly golden on top, not brown.
10. Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool COMPLETELY. Seriously, if they’re even a little warm, your frosting will slide right off and you’ll have a sad mess.

For the Out-Of-This-World Frosting (10 minutes):

1. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time (unless you enjoy wearing it). Mix on low speed until incorporated, then crank it up to medium-high to get it fluffy.
3. Pour in the honey, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Beat until it’s all combined and looks like something you want to face-plant into.
4. If you’re using food coloring, add just a few drops now and mix until you get a soft peachy color.
5. Here’s the cool part: Transfer about 2/3 of your frosting to a piping bag with a large star tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off if you’re normal and don’t have piping tips).
6. With the remaining 1/3 of the frosting in the bowl, gently swirl in the peach preserves. Don’t fully mix it – you want streaks of peach running through it. Add this to another piping bag or the opposite corner of your zip-top bag.

Assembly Time (10-15 minutes):

1. Make sure your cupcakes are COMPLETELY cool. I already said this but it’s that important.
2. Pipe a ring of the regular cream cheese frosting around the edge of each cupcake.
3. Fill the center with the peach-swirled frosting.
4. If you want to go all out, top each cupcake with a thin slice of fresh peach, a small drizzle of warmed peach preserves, and a tiny sprinkle of that chunky sugar.
5. If you’re not serving these right away, refrigerate them because of the cream cheese. But take them out about 20 minutes before serving so they’re not ice cold.

Serving Suggestions

• These are already pretty perfect on their own, but they’re AMAZING with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side if you’re serving them as a plated dessert.
• For brunches, I’ve served these with peach mimosas and felt like a total entertaining genius.
• If you’re doing a dessert table, put these on the tallest cake stand you have – they deserve the spotlight.
• These cupcakes + a porch swing + iced tea = summer perfection.
• For baby or bridal showers, stick cute little flags or toppers in them to match your theme. People will think you ordered them from some fancy bakery.

Switch It Up

Got the basic idea but want to get creative? Try these twists:

• Bourbon Peach: Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the batter and another to the frosting. You’re welcome.
• Peaches & Cream: Skip the honey and use vanilla bean paste instead. Top with whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh peach slices tossed in a little lemon juice and sugar.
• Raspberry Peach: Add fresh raspberries to the batter along with the peaches, and swirl raspberry jam into the frosting instead of (or along with) the peach preserves.
• Ginger Peach: Add 1-2 tablespoons of finely minced crystallized ginger to the batter and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger to the frosting.
• Peach Cobbler Cupcakes: Add a streusel topping before baking (just mix some flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and cold butter until crumbly), then top the finished cupcakes with a dollop of whipped cream instead of frosting.
• Gluten-Free Version: Substitute your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend. I’ve tried it with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and it works great.

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

• These cupcakes are actually even better the next day when the flavors have had time to meld.
• Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The fridge usually dries out cake, but the peaches and honey keep these babies moist.
• You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then foil, then into a freezer bag.
• The frosting can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated. Just let it come to room temperature and give it a quick whip before using.
• If you’re taking these to an event, frost them on site if possible. Or at least wait to add the fresh peach garnish until just before serving.

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Questions People Actually Ask

Q: Can I use canned peaches if fresh aren’t available?
A: Absolutely! Drain them really well and pat them dry. Reduce the sugar by a couple tablespoons since canned peaches are usually in syrup.

Q: My cupcakes sank in the middle! What went wrong?
A: Three possibilities: 1) You opened the oven door too early (I know it’s tempting!), 2) Your baking powder is old (test it by putting a little in hot water – it should fizz), or 3) Your peaches were TOO juicy and added too much moisture. But hey, that’s what frosting is for – to fill in the holes!

Q: How do I get my frosting to look like yours?
A: Two things: 1) Make sure your cream cheese and butter are truly at room temp, and 2) Invest fifteen bucks in a simple piping set. It’s way easier than it looks, I promise!

Q: Can I make this as a cake instead of cupcakes?
A: For sure! Use two 8-inch round pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes. For a layer cake, double the frosting recipe.

Q: Help! My frosting is too runny!
A: Pop it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up. If it’s still too soft, add more powdered sugar, a quarter cup at a time. And next time, make sure your cream cheese is just softened, not warm or melty.

Q: Do these need to be refrigerated?
A: Yep, because of the cream cheese frosting. But remember to take them out about 20 minutes before serving so they’re not ice cold. Cold cake isn’t the move.

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