I’m a sucker for a good surprise, so I couldn’t resist Megan’s invitation to participate in the surprise announcement of her latest project. I whipped up some cupcakes based on Heidi‘s recipe for plum buttermilk cake in her latest cookbook, Super Natural Every Day. Instead of using plums, I mixed in (surprise!) nectarines, and topped each with honey-sweetened whipped cream.
Nectarine Cupcakes
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 18 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
Although these cupcakes are made with whole wheat flour and significantly less butter and sugar than most, they make delicious, celebration-worthy late summer treats. Top each cupcake with a dollop of homemade, honey-sweetened whipped cream and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup raw (turbinado) sugar, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (make your own by adding 1 tablespoon and two teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- Zest of 2 large lemons, or 3 small
- 4 nectarines, thinly sliced, then cut each slice in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the top third of the oven. Line your muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt).
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and lemon zest.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry mixture and stir just until it’s mostly combined.
- Stir in your sliced nectarines, saving about 18 slices to place on top of the cupcakes before baking.
- Spoon your cupcakes into the prepared muffin tin. Top each one with a slice of nectarine and a light sprinkle of raw sugar.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yields approximately 18 cupcakes.
Notes
- Adapted from Heidi‘s recipe for plum buttermilk cake in her latest cookbook, Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson.
- Peaches would work just as well in place of nectarines.
▸ Nutrition Information
Honey whipped cream ingredients:
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions: Place a mixing bowl in the freezer for about ten minutes. Once it is chilled, pour in the milk and honey. Using an electric mixer, eggbeater or a whisk, whisk the milk until it has doubled in volume and holds its peaks.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Maria
Love these cupcakes!
The Fauxmartha
Super cute cupcakes! And congrats on being a part of the surprise. I smiled when I saw your name in the post!
kate
Thanks, Melissa! I got pretty excited when I got Megan’s email—I just love surprises!
Caitlin @ CakewLove
Very cute, I love cupcakes and plan to take some baking classes in NYC @ ICE Culinary, I am obsessed with this little cute cakes :)
Kelsey (Happyolks)
Yes please! I’m making a list for our cafe still, you know ;)
kate
:)
Kristen
Hi! Your blog is gorgeous! Love the photos & recipes. Have you ever tried making the text bigger though? It is so tiny, it’s hard to read!! (wow, that makes me feel old, but the text is much smaller than on most other sites….) ;-)
Katrina
These sound delicious!
Annabel
Do you think these would still be good with peaches? They’re all I have right now:(
Please let me know! Love your blog, it’s super! xo
Kate
Sorry for the delayed response, Annabel! Yes, I think these cupcakes would be great with peaches, cherries, plums, berries… any ripe summer fruit!
Lisa
I was wondering how important pastry flour is vs. regular flour in this recipe. I just made these and they taste delicious, but are more like muffins than cake, if that makes sense. I’ve actually never baked with pastry flour before!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Lisa, whole wheat pastry flour is milled more finely and has less protein than whole wheat flour, so it produces fluffier, lighter baked goods. I remember these cupcakes being a little on the muffin-y side, though, so it might just be the nature of the recipe!