Ingredients
Champagne Cupcakes
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks + 4 tablespoons (1 cup + 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, soft
- 2 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup champagne at room temperature
Champagne Buttercream
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup room temperature champagne
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Decoration
- 1 pint raspberries for decoration, optional
- Edible gold leaf, optional
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 20 cupcake liners into muffin tins. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Sift together. Set aside.
- Mix butter until creamy. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time waiting for previously added egg to be fully incorporated and scraping well in between additions. Add vanilla and salt. If mixture looks heavy and not fluffy, run a hair dryer along sides of bowl while mixing to a slightly warm mixture.
- Add 1/3 of dry ingredients and mix until combined, scrape bowl. Add 1/2 of champagne and mix until smooth. Add another 1/3 of dry ingredients and once mixed in add remaining champagne. Finish with remaining dry ingredients and mix just long enough to combine.
- Fill cupcakes 3/4 full. Place in oven. Bake until center of cakes bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger or an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- For buttercream start with all ingredients at room temperature. Mix soft butter until smooth. Add granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, mix champagne and heavy cream. Add 2 tablespoons of champagne mixture to butter mixture while continuously mixing. Mix well before adding next 2 tablespoons. While mixing, heating sides of bowl with hair dryer will ensure a light and airy buttercream. Keep adding 2 tablespoons of champagne mixture at a time while mixing well in between additions. If mixture is heavy or dense, heat with hair dryer. Near end of mixing granulated sugar will have completely dissolved resulting in silky smooth champagne buttercream.
- Place buttercream in piping bag fitted with pastry tip of choice and pipe cream on surface of cooled cupcakes.
- Decorate with raspberries if desired. If using gold leaf, dap a tiny amount of jam or fruit spread on raspberries to make gold leaf stick easily on berries.