One of my favorite things to do is turn incredible cocktails into the most delicious desserts so when I was bringing cupcakes to a friend's birthday I asked her to share with me her favorite cocktail, and from that these Kentucky Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea cupcakes were born. These light, bright, mouthwatering cupcakes are the absolute best! They are so simple to make and will be a huge hit at your next summer party or BBQ…or just keep these sweet southern homemade treats for yourself - I won't tell!
Why this recipe works
There is nothing better than an ice cold glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day, except maybe an ice cold glass of peach sweet tea spiked with Kentucky bourbon! These flavors make the perfect cocktail, which in turn, makes the perfect boozy cupcakes!
These easy cupcakes are made with canned peaches, including the syrup from the can to add an extra burst of peach flavor resulting in the best peach cupcakes from scratch. The addition of both sweet tea vodka and bourbon also keep these southern peach cupcakes extra boozy! They're perfect for summer, but can easily be made any time of year.
Ingredients and notes
Egg Whites - The egg whites get whipped into a meringue which then gets folded into the cake batter. When egg whites are whipped into meringue, they get filled with air, so when these airy egg whites are folded into the cupcake batter, it creates the best light and fluffy cupcake.
Canned Peaches - This peach cupcake recipes uses both canned peaches, and the syrup from the canned peaches. The combination of using both the peaches and the juice from the can really allows the peach flavor to pop.
Bourbon - The bourbon is, of course, a key flavor in this cocktail and therefore a key flavor in this cocktail cupcake, but you could certainly skip this step and use extra juice from the canned peaches or extra sweet tea (or some of each) in place of the bourbon. Just be sure your replacements total the same measurements.
Sweet Tea Vodka - This boozy cupcake recipe calls for sweet tea vodka in the peach buttercream frosting, but there are definitely alternatives here. If you prefer this to be a non-alcoholic cupcake, you could use sweet tea instead of the vodka. Or if you prefer the cupcake to be a bourbon peach cupcake without the iced tea, you could replace the tea with bourbon, peach juice, or a combination of both. The flavor options are endless!
How to make this recipe
Bourbon Peach Cupcake
Step 1
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then set aside.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 3
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl (flour, baking powder, and salt) and the wet ingredients in another small bowl or measuring cup (bourbon and juice from the canned peaches).
Step 4
Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the butter mixture until all ingredients are added and the mixture is combined.
Step 5
Stir in the chopped peaches.
Step 6
Fold about a third of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the rest of the egg whites.
Step 7
Spoon batter into a lined cupcake pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 8
Cool cupcakes in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Buttercream Frosting
Step 9
Beat butter until soft.
Step 10
Beat in remaining icing ingredients until desired consistency is reached.
Step 11
Pipe or spread onto fully cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
If you are making these cupcakes in advance, I would suggest storing them in an airtight container at room temperature without frosting on them, and frosting them just prior to serving. If you have leftovers or cupcakes that are already frosted, they should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and can be brought to room temperature to serve. We don't want the bourbon peach buttercream to melt in the summer heat!
These boozy summer cupcakes can be made in advance and frozen, or leftovers can be stored in the freezer. Be sure they are well sealed in an airtight container and take them out 4-6 hours ahead of serving to allow them to defrost and come to room temperature.
Wet ingredients in cupcakes keep the cake moist after baking. In this recipe we do this with bourbon and the juice from the canned peaches. The whipped egg whites make the batter light and airy resulting in a fluffy cake. The end result is the best summer peach cupcakes!
Tips & Tricks
- To save dishes, wet ingredients can be measured directly into the same measuring cup and do not need to be placed in a separate bowl.
- When folding the meringue into the batter, move your spoon or spatula gently to try to avoid deflating it too much. This will keep the cupcakes light, fluffy, airy and perfect for summer!
- If the buttercream frosting is too soft, adding a bit more powdered sugar will stiffen it up. If the buttercream frosting is too stiff, adding a bit more bourbon, sweet tea vodka, or peach syrup will soften it.
- To pipe frosting onto cupcakes without a piping bag, place the frosting in a Ziploc bag, cut a corner off the bag, and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Related Recipes
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Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan
- stand or hand mixer
- wire rack
Ingredients
Bourbon Peach Cupcakes
- 6 egg whites
- 1 ¼ sticks butter
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- ½ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup juice from canned peaches
- ⅔ cup canned peaches chopped
Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea Frosting
- 1 stick butter
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 tablespoon juice from canned peaches
- 2 tablespoons sweet tea vodka
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- red and yellow food coloring optional
Instructions
Bourbon Peach Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Combine bourbon and peach juice in a measuring cup or separate bowl.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the bourbon mixture into the butter/sugar mix untill all ingredients are added.
- Stir in the chopped peaches.
- Fold in a third of the egg whites, and then the rest of the egg whites.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool in pan for approximately 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a cooling rack.
Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea Frosting
- Beat butter till soft.
- Add in bourbon, peach juice, and sweet tea vodka. Then add in 4 cups of powdered sugar to start.
- Mix well. Continue adding powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. If the frosting gets too thick, add small amounts of sweet tea vodka until desired consistency.
- If you want to add a peach coloring to the frosting, add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on July 3, 2017, but was republished with additional information about the recipe, step-by-step instructions, FAQs, and tips and tricks in June of 2022.
Zainab says
I had to come let you know that I made these for a party tonight and it was delicious!!
Liz says
That makes me so happy! I'm so glad you liked them!!!
Katy says
What is sweet tea bourbon
Liz Pollio says
These are two separate ingredients. One is sweet tea vodka. I believe there are multiple options available, but Firefly is the brand I'm most familiar with. You can replace this with sweet tea if you don't have the sweet tea vodka. The bourbon is separate and any bourbon will work!