The perfect combination, sweet peaches and flavorful raspberries. Deliciously sweet peach jam fills these decadent cupcakes. Then, fresh raspberry buttercream with a tangy raspberry coulis complements the cake and filling.

This cupcakes is a winner.

Remember, make the raspberry coulis the day before baking your cupcakes. This way you can add the coulis to your buttercream on cupcake day.

Peach Melba Cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yields: 24 cupcakes

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1½ cups of cake flour

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

2½ cups of sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup of whole milk

½ cup of sour cream

2½ teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, sift together all of your dry ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.

In a large measuring cup, mix together your milk, sour cream and vanilla. Also set this cup aside.

In your stand-up mixing bowl, add your butter and beat with a paddle attachment on medium until the butter is smooth. Add your sugar and beat on medium high for 2-3 minutes, light and fluffy. On medium speed, add one egg at a time, blending with each addition.

Alternate your dry ingredients with your wet ingredients, starting with your dry and ending with your dry. Do this on low speed. Scrape the mixing bowl as necessary, and well.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the cupcake batter evenly into cupcake paper-lined pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tester comes out clean in the center.

Cool the cupcakes in the pan, on your cooling rack before removing them from the pan. Then remove and cool completely. Store covered until ready to decorate.

Chef’s note: These freeze well too, if put into a sealed storage container.

Fresh Raspberry Coulis

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3-5 min

Total Time: 20 min

12 ounces of frozen raspberries

¼ cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

In a food processor, add your raspberries. Puree. Place the puree into a strainer and push down on the solid fruit to get all of the fruit juice and pulp through, as much as possible.

Add the lemon juice and the sugar. Mix to combine. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture simmers. Allow to cook 3-5 minutes, simmering.

Pour into a container, when a bit cool, to store to use in smoothies, buttercreams, cocktails or as a plate garnish.

Chef’s note: Make the coulis a day ahead of the cupcakes and buttercream.

Rasberry Buttercream

Prep Time: 25 min

Yields: Buttercream for 24 cupcakes

1-2 jars peach jam, store bought or homemade for cupcake filling

3 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup raspberry coulis

Fresh raspberries and decorating sugar (optional garnish)

In a stand-up mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter, with the paddle attachment, until smooth.

On low speed, gradually add in your powdered sugar. Add your salt and then the vanilla. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes time.

Add your raspberry coulis and mix on medium speed for a minute or two until combined, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Scoop or slice out with a small fruit knife the center of the cupcake, not going down too far. Save the cake.

Fill in the center with your peach jam, amount to your liking. Cut the top of the cupcake that you cut out to fit the top.

Chef’s note: The top will not fit perfectly. That is fine.

Garnish cupcakes with buttercream. You can also fill a tiny bit of the coulis in the raspberry and gently place the raspberry for garnish on the top of the cupcakes and sprinkle with decorating sugar.

Sarah Schweitzer is dual-certified in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She is a former line cook for Chef Robert Irvine at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” which was located at the Downtown Allentown Market. Sarah is currently working as a sous-chef at Ateira’s on First and has her own blog simplysarah.online. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.