Celebrate the peak of peach season with sweet and savory treats.
This recipe for Fresh Peach Mini Cake Muffins will make enough for your family plus some to tuck away in the freezer for a Sunday Brunch surprise. The “secret ingredient” in cake muffins is cake mix, which makes the batter mouthwateringly moist.
Fresh Peach Mini Cake Muffins
Yield: 42 mini muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 3 fresh peaches, peeled and pitted, chopped into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- Topping
- 2.25 ounces walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
Glaze
- ½ cup peach preserves
Line mini cupcake pans with paper liners.
Prepare topping. Melt butter in a saucepan and add chopped walnuts. Stir and heat over medium low heat for 2 or 3 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Watch carefully so the nuts do not burn. Remove pan from heat and stir in brown sugar. Set aside while preparing the muffin batter.
Place cake mix, peaches, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir lightly to combine ingredients. Add vegetable oil and mix with a large spoon. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to combine all ingredients after each addition. Do not over mix.
Fill each lined muffin cup with peach cake muffin batter. Put approximately 1 teaspoon topping on each muffin, pressing down lightly. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven (or until sharp knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin.)
Place peach preserves in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt preserves in microwave. Remove muffins from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Brush muffins with melted peach preserves.
Enjoy this Peach Fig Arugula Salad with your favorite nuts and cheese.
Peach Fig Arugula Salad with Balsamic Dressing
- 2 large peaches, diced
- 5 ounce box pre-washed baby arugula
- 10 fresh figs, sliced
- Maple syrup or honey
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
Optional garnishes: Fried prosciutto, crumbled, blue cheese or goat’s milk cheese crumbles, grated Ricotta Salata, toasted pecans
Place peaches and baby arugula in a chilled salad bowl. Toss to combine. Place fig slices on a plate and brush with maple syrup or honey.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallots
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Combine balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Drizzle olive oil into the balsamic vinegar mixture while whisking continuously. Continue drizzling and whisking until all of the oil is combined into the vinegar mixture.
Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the arugula peach salad (just enough to coat the arugula with dressing) and toss lightly to coat the arugula with the salad dressing. Serve on chilled salad plates and garnish with fig slices and other garnishes as desired.
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @bubblybeeboop.
