4 Champagne Cupcakes That Serve As Bubbly Treats for Sweet Celebrations
One the most enduring images of celebration we have seen represented in literature and cinema is the ceremonial popping of the champagne bottle. Indeed, champagne is synonymous with celebrations in the liquor culture.
In recent years, with the explosion of culinary inventions, this bubbly spirit has whetted the bakers. The result? Delicate, fragrant cupcakes that compete with the hobnobs of fine dining desserts—from Tarte Tatin to Mille-feuille. These cupcakes are ideal for weddings and anniversaries, and the perfect substitute for an adult's birthday cake.
Here are some of the most popular iterations of champagne cupcakes for your next occasion.
Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream
As intimidating as it may sound, champagne on champagne cupcakes is a game of delicate balance. The primary flavour profile of champagne is acidic, which cuts through both the bready cake as well as the fatty buttercream frosting.
To make these cupcakes, you follow the exact recipe of making a vanilla cupcake, beginning with mixing all the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt – and wet ingredients – eggs, sugar and butter– in separate bowls.
Then slowly start adding the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, punctuating it with spoonfuls of champagne at a time. When the batter is ready, scoop out small portions and drop them in the cupcake moulds. Then count the seconds down in bated breath and 19 minutes later, your cupcakes are ready.
Similarly for the frosting, you need to whisk together heavy cream, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, with a smidgen of champagne. Since champagne has quite a subtle taste, it is imperative to make its flavour more prominent in the frosting. You can even cut thin juliennes of green apple or pear as garnish to reinforce the champagne flavour.
Pink Champagne Cupcakes with White Chocolate
Pink has had a reckoning of sorts in recent years, and we are living for it. Safe to say then, that is renewed appreciation for pink has also trickled into our culinary exploits. From rhubarb ice creams, beetroot salad, to the breakfast acai bowl, the list of pink-themed food is exhaustive.
But not everyone likes their pink bold. So for those who like their pink just a little desaturated, and their cupcakes a little lighter, the Pink champagne cupcake is an ideal choice.
The pink champagne imparts your cupcake a soft, blush colour, and makes it airy. This recipe also follows the same steps of making any spiked cupcakes, but instead of buttercream, the tops of the cupcakes are coated in melted white chocolate.
White chocolate and champagne is a timeless combo, because the bubbly and sharp champagne offsets the richness of white chocolate, pulling you in for another bite.
Burnt Honey and Champagne Cupcakes
There are a few things in the world most chefs agree on, but one thing they all concede to is that burnt honey can enhance pretty much any dish, whether sweet or savoury.
Much like caramel taken to the dark edge, burnt honey has butterscotch-like richness, but with a heavy floral undertone. Champagne, incidentally, also has a floral note, which plays well with honey.
Strawberry and Lemon Champagne Cupcakes
Strawberries and champagne are not just gifts for your loved ones on Valentine’s Day, they are also the ingredients you use to make these fun, tart cupcakes.
All you need to do is freeze-dry some strawberries and grind them to a fine powder, and use it in your cupcake batter, along with lemon juice and lemon zest. The strawberry powder adds the tartness without interfering with the texture of the cupcakes.
To reinforce the berry flavour even more, dust your vanilla whipped cream frosting with strawberry powder and icing sugar.
