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Bubbly peach bellini cupcakes combine fluffy champagne cake, juicy peach centers, and a playful swirl of fruity buttercream. They feel special and light, perfect for any fun moment—think brunches, showers, or whenever you want something a bit extra.
One morning, I whipped these up for my sister’s birthday brunch. Everyone assumed I'd bought them at a pricey bakery—they're just that pretty. We ended up raising cupcakes instead of glasses!
Irresistible Ingredients
- Mint leaves, fresh: Pop a tiny one on top for a fresh finish
- White nonpareils: Sprinkles bring a touch of glam if you can find them
- Gel food coloring: A bit goes a long way to boost color without watering things down
- Milk or cream: This helps make the frosting spread just right, whole milk does the trick
- Peach flavoring oil or peach schnapps: Cranks up the fruity taste, schnapps is great if you want more punch
- Confectioners sugar: Makes the buttercream silky, sift first so it's not clumpy
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the pastry cream, go with the real deal
- Whole egg and extra yolks: Make the pastry cream rich and yellow, fresh eggs rock
- Cornstarch: Thickens the pastry cream, just whisk well and lumps are gone
- Heavy cream: Gives pastry cream dreamy smoothness use full fat for the best result
- Sparkling white wine Prosecco or champagne: Adds sparkle and a fun twist, use something you love to sip
- Fine sea salt: Keeps things from getting too sweet, go for unrefined if you can
- Baking powder: Lifts up the cupcakes, always check it’s in date
- Flour, all purpose: Unbleached makes the softest cake, give it a sift before using
- Peaches, fresh or canned: Use juicy ripe ones when you can—canned work fine, too
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens everything perfectly, super-fine disappears fast
- Unsalted butter: You’ll use this in both cake and frosting, splurge on good stuff if you can
- Egg whites: You’ll need six, all at room temp, for fluffy cupcakes
Step-by-Step How-To
- Frost and Finish Up:
- Swirl generous clouds of peach buttercream on each cupcake. Top with a dash of nonpareil sprinkles while it’s still sticky and tuck a mint tip on at the end for a party look.
- Pop the Lids Back On:
- Take the cake piece you set aside, flatten if needed, and gently cap off the filling—press lightly so it sits smooth.
- Fill Them Up:
- Grab a small, sharp knife to cut out a bit of the cupcake middle just big enough to hold the filling. Save that cupcake chunk for later.
- Mix Buttercream and Prep Toppings:
- Beat room temp butter together with your sifted sugar in a mixer. Add a splash of milk or cream and whip until fluffy. Stir in the peach oil, then slowly add color ‘til it looks just right. Pop the frosting into a piping bag—it works best with a French star tip. For a cool color streak, dip a brush in red color and paint a strip inside your tip and piping bag.
- Make and Pipe Pastry Cream:
- Make the pastry cream by whisking eggs, cornstarch, sugar, sparkling wine, and cream on low heat ‘til thick, then blend in butter and vanilla. After it’s cooled, transfer to a piping bag and fill each cupcake with 1.5 to 2 tablespoons.
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Peaches are my favorite. They bring back those late summer days at my grandma’s place, picking them warm and dreaming about what to bake. Any time I get a whiff of fresh peach, I’m right back in the sunshine with her.
How to Store
Keep the finished cupcakes sealed in a container in the fridge for up to three days. Let them hang out on the counter to soften for the best flavor before eating. If you want to prep early, freeze unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes for a month and do the filling and frosting when you’re ready.
Easy Ingredient Swaps
No ripe peaches? Canned in juice work great—just drain well. Skip the booze with sparkling apple cider or Prosecco. If you want an almond hint, trade vanilla extract in the cream for almond extract instead.
Fun Ways to Serve
They steal the show at brunch or shine as a sweet ending for birthdays. I like to stack them on a vintage stand with cold peach tea or even mimosas alongside. For a cute touch at smaller parties, add edible flowers next to that mint leaf.
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Peach Bellini Stories
With roots in the Venetian classic, these cupcakes are a nod to long, sunny brunches. The bellini came from Harry’s Bar in Venice—now you can bring that bright, happy feeling to your table too.
FAQs About the Recipe
- → How can I really boost the peach flavor in these cupcakes?
Try using juicy fresh peaches and jazz it up with a bit of peach schnapps or a splash of peach flavor oil to really make it pop.
- → What’s a good swap if I don’t want to use champagne?
If you’re skipping the booze, just use sparkling white grape juice instead of champagne or prosecco—it works just fine.
- → Any tips on the best buttercream for topping?
Go with a simple powdered sugar buttercream. Add a little milk or cream to thin it so it pipes nice and fluffy.
- → How can I add the pastry cream filling without making a mess?
Once the cupcakes are cool, cut out the center, grab a piping bag, and squirt in the cream. Pop the cake piece back on top to hide the filling.
- → Have any easy ideas to make them look extra fancy?
Use some food coloring gel to swirl your frosting, toss on white nonpareils, and press a mint leaf on top right before you serve.
- → How should I keep these cupcakes fresh?
Put them in an airtight box in the fridge. Let them warm to room temp before you bite in for the best flavor.