Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes

I've found the perfect cupcake to help you bring in the new year: Champagne Cupcakes! I love when the new year time rolls around. It's a time full of hope and new beginnings. Everyone gets a fresh start. Excitement is in the air as you make those resolutions, maybe you'll accomplish something that seems impossible. Go ahead, get those extra pounds off or, find your soulmate, quit smoking, pay of those debts, and take a chance on your dreams (you can do it). Whatever it may be, I wish everyone the best of luck and the happiest 2013. As you celebrate tonight, I hope you are surrounded by people you love. Raise your glass and make a toast: Here's to 2013, I hope yours is blessed. 

Recipe from sprinklebakes.com (here's the link - Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes)

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

1/2 c. butter, softened

1c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 3/4c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2  c. champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine.

for the creme filling

1/2 c. heavy cream, divided

1/2 c. champagne or prosecco

2  Tbsp. cornstarch

5 Tbsp. sugar

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp. butter, unsalted

1 tsp. vanilla

for the  frosting

1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. champagne or prosecco

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions

For the cupcakes (makes approx. 17 cupcakes)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in cupcake pans. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (this normally takes about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup sour cream (mixture will fizz a little). Add flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Batter will be thick. Fill cupcake papers with 1/4 cup level measures of batter. Bake for 17-22 minutes. Set aside. 

For the creme filling

In a medium bowl, whisk cornstarch in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Combine the remaining heavy cream, sugar and 1/2 cup champagne in a sauce pan; bring to boil then remove from heat. Beat the whole egg and egg yolks into the cornstarch/heavy cream mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling champagne mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs do not cook. Return the remaining champagne/heavy cream mixture to a boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. Cut a divot into the top of each cupcake and fill with pastry cream. Trim the cut-out pieces flat to make a "lid" and place on top of the filled divot. 

For the champagne frosting

Place 1 cup of champagne in a small sauce pan. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a small bowl or cup and cool. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar together. Once the frosting is thick and fluffy, pour in the reduced 2 tbsp. champagne plus 1 tbsp. champagne from the bottle and mix well. Frost the cream filled cupcakes and decorate. 

Note: I used a prosecco for the cupcakes shown here. For those who don't know, prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine, it has a slightly sweeter flavor than champagne. The one I chose had flavors of peach and sweet apple. I thought it would work perfectly for these cupcakes. Feel free to use whatever you like. Trust me, you can't go wrong.