Strawberry & Pink Champagne Cupcakes

The end of January is drawing near and it has been almost a full month since the ball dropped, the confetti flew, and the champagne was poured.

Ah, the champagne...

A celebratory drink to ring in the New Year and all the resolutions and promises that it inevitably brings. My own resolution was to embrace the Finnish concept of Sisu and leave nothing unfinished once it has been started. The humor was not lost on me then, when I realized that I was being haunted by the unfinished bottle of pink champagne that I used to toast my new commitment.

Chances are I would never find another opportunity to drink it (until NEXT New Year) so I turned to the InTheKitschen recipe archives. From there I recovered a recipe for fabulous pink champagne and strawberry cupcakes. These cupcakes capture the effervescent mood of pink champagne with a light texture and subtle, fruity tones throughout. The signature strawberry champagne buttercream delivers a satiny finish with just enough sweetness to accentuate the delicate flavors of the cake. This recipe is a great use of your New Year leftovers and perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day celebrations. Whether you're having dinner with your sweetheart or brunch with dear friends, these pink champagne cupcakes will have your loved ones feeling bubbly :)

Ingredients:

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup pink champagne
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 6 egg whites at room temperature
  
• 1 tbsp. reserved strawberry syrup*
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Strawberry & Champagne Buttercream

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup strawberries with syrup*
• 2 tbsp. pink champagne

*see directions below

Instructions:

*Before you proceed with any other steps you must prepare your strawberries. Once they are thoroughly washed, dice and toss strawberries with a tbsp. of white sugar. Allow the mixture to rest covered for a minimum of 30 minutes in order for osmosis to occur and syrup to be formed. Reserve 1 tbsp. syrup for cupcake batter.

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Begin by beating butter on medium speed until smooth, then add sugar and strawberry syrup. Continue to beat until pale and fluffy.
   
3. Gradually add room temperature egg whites to your creamed butter/sugar and beat until well combined.
4. While your wet ingredients are busy mixing combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl and sift them well.
5. By now the egg/butter/sugar should be a smooth, even consistency. With your mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients in small amounts, alternating with the pink champagne, until all ingredients have been incorporated.
6. Scoop your batter into lined muffin tins (this batch makes about 20) and bake for approx. 17 minutes. Fully baked cupcakes will have a slightly cracked surface and bounce back to the touch.
7. Allow to cool before frosting.
   

For the Buttercream

1. Whip room temperature butter at high speed until pale and fluffy.
2. Change mixer to lowest speed and add confectioners sugar gradually.
3. Once all the sugar has been incorporated add the champagne and diced strawberries with remaining syrup while the mixer is still on low speed.
4. Once ingredients are thoroughly binded together increase mixer speed to highest setting and beat until color and consistency are even (strawberry pieces will continue to break down but will leave lovely bits of red throughout).
5. Frost and Enjoy! This buttercream is easy piped from a pastry bag or spread with a spatula. As a fun extra flourish I added some large nonpareils that were reminiscent of the bubbles you might find in your glass of champagne.

A toast to good desserts! Check back soon for more delicious posts on Creators' Co-Op!