I recently saw some adorable blue velvet cupcakes and thought they would be perfect for New Year’s, but I was heartset on making champagne cupcakes, so I figured I’d just dye them blue. : ) Since I loathe buttercream (and most frostings) I made a bubbly, sweet champagne mascarpone frosting for the tops. These things are magic. They aren’t too sweet, the cake has a dense eggy, angel food-like quality. They are soft in the middles and have a nice chewy “crust” on the edges. And they’re pretty and fun. So here.

Now, I am not a baker or a pastry chef type. I lack precision and patience. I am more of a – throw a bunch of stuff together and make delicious magic type. So my cupcake more so resembles a Dr Suess creation rather than a pretty cascade of champagne bubbles. And that’s fine by me.

I dislike sugary sweet, and I dont understand the huge trend of cupcakes over the past few years, so this is actually my first cupcake post, believe it or not. And of course I just borrowed from people who actually do bake. I started with this recipe and used it for the cake, and I used dry champagne instead of sweet. But besides that I just totally stole their recipe. And directions. I’m not ashamed. Why mess with a good thing?

Cupcakes~
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup champagne
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put pretty silver cups in the tray. This made 16 regular sized cupcakes.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of champagne combined with vanilla.

In a clean bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until they hold stiff peaks. Fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batter then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

**I think it is important to note here that your batter will be very thick and almost dough like. I tried to get a good picture but it got all bronzey and weird. The point is, you didn’t do anything wrong. Also, at this point I added in about a tablespoon of royal blue food coloring and a dash of pink, you are supposed to use violet instead of pink to get the correct color, but the store was out, and so this had to do. I think it worked just fine. )

Transfer batter to cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake approximately twenty minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about five minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While your cakes are baking, make your frosting!

Frosting~

1 1/2 cups of mascarpone
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 TB champagne

Starting with all very cold ingredients, toss in a bowl and blend on high until the mixture thickens, then put in a piping bag, or in my case a ziplock with the corner cut off, and squidge some in the shape of your choice on to your pretty blue cakes and sprinkle with edible pearls! (I never thought I would say that.)

Now drink the rest of your champagne!!! CHEERS to you, and a New Year!

I will be sure to post pictures of people enjoying these babies tomorrow night. : )