Peach Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Thank you to the Cupcake Queen for the recipe. These babies are SO delicious! Usually it's against my rules to eat a cupcake with a fork. But these are sooo much like peaches and cream, they begged to be eaten with a fork.

ingredients (2 chopped peaches yielded about 1 1/2 cups)

These were the best warm and naked cupcakes ever!

The smell of nutmeg and orange zest filled the house!

Fresh Georgia peaches meet their destiny!

MY NOTES: I only used about 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 teaspoon orange zest, and the flavors were still very strong. Next time I'll use a pinch of nutmeg and probably 1/2 teaspoon orange zest. I got 22 flat cupcakes by filling the cups 2/3 full. Fill the cups 3/4 full if you want them to dome. I halved the frosting recipe and added 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. She's not kidding when she says don't overbeat the frosting. I let it go too long, and my frosting was VERY thick, not the soft creamy frosting I would want next time.

Peach Cupcakes with Martha Stewart's Mascarpone Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes (I got 22!!)

for cupcakes
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2 tsp (10 mL) grated orange zest
3/4 cup (175 mL) milk
2 peaches or nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced and cut into thirds

for frosting
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1-1/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffly. Add vanilla and orange zest, beating well. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth. Fold in peaches or nectarines.
Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated over for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and confectioners' sugar until medium-soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful no to overbeat. Use immediately.