It seems time just does not slow down. Valentine’s Day is only a month away! I generally don’t do much for the “holiday” but I know others do and these cupcakes from The Cake Blog would be a perfect touch to your special celebration. For those of us who don’t participate, these cupcakes are still special and delicious. Everyone deserves a special cupcake every now and again!
Champagne and Raspberry Cupcakes
For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup champagne, room temperature (I used Korbel Sweet Rose)
5 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In medium bowl combine dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder and salt.
- In bowl of stand mixer combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and mix.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients with the champagne alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
- Once cupcake are completely cool frost with Raspberry Champagne Buttercream.
For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp pureed raspberries (strained to remove seeds)
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup champagne (I used Korbel Sweet Rose)
1 tsp vanilla
- In bowl of stand mixer beat butter until creamy.
- Add in raspberry puree and vanilla and mix well.
- Gradually add confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time and mix scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Add champagne as necessary to create desired consistency.
- Place icing in piping bag fitted with large round tip and frost cupcakes.
- Garnish with a raspberry on top.