Happy New Year! Have you made your resolutions? In celebration of 2012 and in the spirit of (our lacking winter), I've produced a simple champagne cupcake capped with a champagne buttercream frosting topped with silver jimmies and a white chocolate 2012. Looking forward to another exciting year of cupcakes with you all :)
Champagne Cupcake
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup champagne (brut)
4 egg whites
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan(s).
In a large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients then add them to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the champagne, starting and ending with the dry ingredients until combined. Separately beat egg white to form soft peaks and fold into batter. Pour the batter into the pan. This batch yielded 12 regular sized and 5 mini cupcakes baked for 15 and 10 minutes respectively.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup champagne (brut)
4 egg whites
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan(s).
In a large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients then add them to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the champagne, starting and ending with the dry ingredients until combined. Separately beat egg white to form soft peaks and fold into batter. Pour the batter into the pan. This batch yielded 12 regular sized and 5 mini cupcakes baked for 15 and 10 minutes respectively.
Champagne Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 oz. cream cheese
2 cups powder/confectioner sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp champagne (brut)blue and green food colouring
Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until well combined. Add vanilla and champagne, mix well. Mix in food colouring. Made enough plus a bit for all cakes.
Once the cupcakes were cool, I frosted them and added a (black) white chocolate 2012 which I made by simply melting the chocolate and pipping into the shape of the number. I placed one on each cupcake and sprinkled some silver chocolate jimmies I had over them.
The Panel:
Compliments on the presentation all around. The combination of the colour and accents were pleasing. The icing even carried a bubbly texture courtesy of the incorporated champagne. All judges were able to taste the champagne through and through, some in favor, some not. Cocoa and Sugar Princess mentioned they aren't typically fond of alcohol flavored foods or champagne, but both were very pleased with the end result of this experimental treat. The lowest taste score this week came from Diana, commenting that it had a "heavy dankness to it", likely attributable to the champagne taste. Otherwise the overall essences of the cupcake seemed to work well together. Jimmies said to have added a positive texture aspect. Interestingly, Peanut and Kupcake both suggested the addition of strawberries, the former also suggested presenting a mimosa cake.
Cocoa: "Perfect fit to New Years theme"
Princess: "Too cool. SOOOOOOOO good"
SweetTooth: "Chocolate 2012 was SO cool! It reminded me of those "year" glasses that people wear on New Years Eve...definitely gave the cupcake that "New Years Eve" feel. Excellent job!!!"
My comments:
The frosting was slightly runny and separating due to the alcohol content so I threw them in the fridge overnight until 2 hours before serving them, giving them a chance to come to room temperature without creating a mess. Aroma was definitely of champagne which made me nervous, that it may have been overwhelming, but I was proven wrong. I thought it somewhat entertaining that the reason I took the egg white approach was to try and lighten the texture of the cake but most commented that it was dense (a comment I fully agree with), perhaps I over folded the batter? I really enjoyed the chocolate 2012 and found the frosting was spot on with regards to flavor. I really enjoyed Peanuts suggestion as I almost incorporated my newly purchased blood oranges into the recipe but decided to save that aroma for another week.
Compliments on the presentation all around. The combination of the colour and accents were pleasing. The icing even carried a bubbly texture courtesy of the incorporated champagne. All judges were able to taste the champagne through and through, some in favor, some not. Cocoa and Sugar Princess mentioned they aren't typically fond of alcohol flavored foods or champagne, but both were very pleased with the end result of this experimental treat. The lowest taste score this week came from Diana, commenting that it had a "heavy dankness to it", likely attributable to the champagne taste. Otherwise the overall essences of the cupcake seemed to work well together. Jimmies said to have added a positive texture aspect. Interestingly, Peanut and Kupcake both suggested the addition of strawberries, the former also suggested presenting a mimosa cake.
Cocoa: "Perfect fit to New Years theme"
Princess: "Too cool. SOOOOOOOO good"
SweetTooth: "Chocolate 2012 was SO cool! It reminded me of those "year" glasses that people wear on New Years Eve...definitely gave the cupcake that "New Years Eve" feel. Excellent job!!!"
My comments:
The frosting was slightly runny and separating due to the alcohol content so I threw them in the fridge overnight until 2 hours before serving them, giving them a chance to come to room temperature without creating a mess. Aroma was definitely of champagne which made me nervous, that it may have been overwhelming, but I was proven wrong. I thought it somewhat entertaining that the reason I took the egg white approach was to try and lighten the texture of the cake but most commented that it was dense (a comment I fully agree with), perhaps I over folded the batter? I really enjoyed the chocolate 2012 and found the frosting was spot on with regards to flavor. I really enjoyed Peanuts suggestion as I almost incorporated my newly purchased blood oranges into the recipe but decided to save that aroma for another week.