Hello guys! Happy Tuesday! This is my last recipe for 2020 and I think it fits perfectly to welcome the new year. I baked with champagne before but I never got enough taste of it so I decided to make a champagne reduction for the cupcake batter and frosting and guess what! It worked really good.
The mini cakes are soft and fluffy with a good taste of champagne. The frosting is a light whipped cream frosting made with fresh raspberry puree and champagne reduction.
After this post, I will take a break from baking but I’ll be back with a new recipe very soon. Happy New Year! I hope that 2021 is better for all of us. Stay safe and don’t forget to wear your mask. Cheers!
Let’s start with the recipe. Video for this recipe is on my Instagram @pastry_tales
Yield 12 regular size cupcakes. For a bigger batch, just double the ingredients
Ingredients
About the champagne:
You can use any brand you like, it does not have to be an expensive one. Trader Joe’s have a pretty good selection of champagne so if you have a store close by you, I recommend that you go to check them out. You will find prices from $5-6 per bottle.
You need 1 and 1/2 cups of champagne. We will make a champagne reduction so our cupcakes and frosting get enough champagne flavor. Do not pour it into your cupcake batter or frosting without reducing it.
How to reduce champagne?
Pour champagne into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it reduces to 3/4 cup. Do not boil, just cook, this will take about 20 minutes so be patient. Then, put it back a measurement cup and refrigerate until cool. After it cools, start with your cupcakes.
For the cupcakes
1 and 1/2 cups champagne
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable/canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup champagne reduction
2 tablespoons milk at room temperature
For the frosting
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/3-1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons raspberry puree (you can add one or 2 more if you want a stronger raspberry flavor) . To make this, just add some fresh raspberries to a mixer and mix until it is all liquid, then using a sieve, catch all the seeds, we just need the puree no seeds.
2-3 tablespoons champagne reduction
Directions
For the cupcakes
1.- Preheat oven to 350 F and line your cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
2.- In a small bowl mix: flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3.- In a big bowl and using an electric mixer, beat your butter for 2 minutes. Then, add granulated sugar and cream both ingredients until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Add in oil and mix for another minute.
4.- Add eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, mix for 30 seconds.
5.- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix in low speed. After this, pour in milk and 1/2 cup champagne reduction. Mixture will curdle but it’s ok. Add in the other half of dry ingredients, mix in low speed, scrape down the sides with a spatula, mix for a few more seconds. Fill your cupcakes liners with the batter 3/4 full
6.- Bake for 15-16 minutes or until your insert a toothpick in one cupcake and it comes out clean.
7.- Take them out of the oven. Let them cool in the same pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them on top of a cooling rack to cool completly.
When they are all cooled off, make the frosting.
For the frosting
1.-To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I always put my whisk attachment in the fridge before using it).
2.- Whip on medium-low speed at first until foamy. Blend in the confectioners’ sugar little by little. Add raspberry puree and champagne. Mix in high speed until stiff peaks form but be careful to not over-beat or it will curdle.
3.- Frost the cupcakes. I used 1M Wilton tip. You can decorate with fresh raspberries or sprinkles.
4.- You can storage these cupcakes for a couple of days in your fridge but always use an airtight container.
Enjoy! Happy New Year!