1.Combine sliced peaches, rum, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large frying pan. Cook on medium-high heat to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Cover and allow to cool in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.
2.Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line your cupcake tins.
3.Using a paddle attachment or traditional beaters, combine cake mix, butter, and buttermilk. Mix for about 30 seconds.
4.Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between and scraping down your bowl as needed. Fill cupcake liners with about 1/4 cup batter.
5.Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 3 minutes, then move to rack to cool completely.
6.Use the cooling period to make your pie crumbs. Raise your oven’s temperature to 450ºF. Whisk together sugar and flour. Using a fork or or pastry dough blender, combine butter slices and dry ingredients until mixture forms a sand-like crumble.
7.Spread your crumble across a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, then break up and stir the crumbs around with a spatula.
8.Repeat step 7 until crumbs are golden brown. Set aside to cool and go bake to your cupcakes. (NOTE: Don’t worry if your crumbs are still soft when you remove them from the oven. The crumbs will harden as they cool.)
9.Use a knife to carefully remove the center of each cupcake. Stuff the center with peaches from your compote, but save your syrup for topping.
10.Using a whisk attachment or traditional beaters, cream your butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add your brown sugar and mix until well-combined.
11.Dissolve 1 tbsp meringue powder in 2 tbsps of black spiced rum and add to your mixing bowl alongside 1 cup of your powdered sugar. Mix until well-combined,beginning at a low speed, then scrape down the sides of your bowl. Continue adding the remainder of your powdered sugar a little at a time, alternating with the remainder of your rum. Scrape down the sides of your bowl when needed. Whisk on high for 1 minute until fluffy.
12.Put your frosting in a piping bag fitted with a circular pastry tip. Make a single layer of frosting on each cupcake.
13.Top each cupcake with pie crumbs, then spoon some of your peach compote on top.
14.Set your cupcakes aside and get ready to make your whip. Using a whisk attachment or traditional beaters, whip heavy cream on medium-high speed until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and meringue powder all at once, then whip on high speed just until stiff peaks form. (Avoid over-whipping or the mixture may break.)
15.Top each cupcake with a little bit of whipped cream (we used a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip to apply ours), dust with ground cinnamon and enjoy all of your beautiful and delicious hard work!
