"Today my bestie and resident antique buyer for Bailey & James, Claire, is here to share a sweet treat just in time to celebrate birthday two! Claire and I have always shared a passion for vintage buys and sugary highs. Enjoy!" - Amber
Hello Friends, this is my first time posting for Bailey & James and I could not be more excited. We are celebrating a very special event. Bailey & James is turning two! There has to be champagne, balloons, and cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes, Bellini Cupcakes.
This dessert is my absolute favorite. This recipe uses real peaches, bubbly champagne, and a secret ingredient. What’s the secret ingredient you ask? First make sure nobody is reading over your shoulder….the secret ingredient is a boxed cake mix. Please! Hold your gasps! Boxed Cake Mix is not a dirty word. I have made many cupcakes from scratch. I have even tried to make this recipe from scratch. Baking is a science. When you alter the ingredients or add new ones (like peaches and champagne) you alter the formula. Using a box mix makes this recipe much easier to follow. Not to mention, the cake will rise light and fluffy. Your guests will never know your secret.
The first step is sourcing yummy local peaches. You can also substitute nectarines for peaches. It all depends on what looks better at the market. When purchasing any stone fruit there are a couple rules. They must be a little soft if you plan to use right away. If you are not going to use the fruit for a few days, then a harder one will ripen over time. For these cupcakes, I used white nectarines. They were very ripe to the touch. I brought them home and washed them right away.
In order to remove the skin of the peach/nectarine, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl halfway with water and add 2 cups of ice. When the water starts to boil add your fruit whole. Let them boil for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse in the bowl of ice water, for 2- 3 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle. Place the fruit on a cutting board. You should be able to peel away the skin and slice appropriately.
Bellini Cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes 24 cupcakes
1 moist white box cake mix
¾ cup champagne
¾ cup of white peaches or white nectarines diced
1/3 cup canola oil
3 egg whites
1 container white frosting
3 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops red food coloring
Sprinkles for decoration
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Combine cake mix, champagne, oil, and egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Beat ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add peaches and beat for another minute. Divide batter among cupcake liners about 2/3 full. If you have peaches left over, place one tsp of diced peaches in between batter pours.
Bake cupcakes 19-23 minutes or until inserted toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
For frosting, add 3 drops of yellow and 2 drops of red food coloring. Mix until all frosting is colored. Add sprinkles as desired.
Here’s another tip for frosting. Disclaimer, I used store bought frosting too. When you are ready to frost the cupcakes, remove the label from the frosting container. When you remove the label it allows you to see the entire contents of the container. Add your food coloring and begin mix all the way down to the bottom. You will actually be able to see if the color is even. Now you have peach colored frosting and one less bowl to wash.
These cupcakes will be the talk of the party. Not just because they contain champagne or have pretty peachy frosting but because they are light and delicious. No one will guess that they were made from a box.
The Look
Birthday Napkins - Shop in store
Jewel tone Champagne glasses - Shop in store
Happy Birthday Bailey & James. Here’s to another great year. Enjoy the recipe friends, and remember boxed cake mix is not a dirty word.
Join us this Saturday, August 12 from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. to celebrate birthday 2! Join the facebook event
XOXO
Claire