Of the many varieties of cupcakes out there, there are a few that stand out as exceptionally creative and delicious. Among them is the strawberry champagne cupcake, elegant and poised to impress. The delicate pink color from the strawberries and the bubbly booziness from the champagne mix with the sweetness and moistness of the cupcake, to create a magical, enchanting eating experience. So if you're planning a fancy party or gathering, try your hand at these amazing cupcakes. And remember, these special sweets are strictly for adults only.
Ingredients:
For the vanilla champagne cupcakes:
- 100 gm all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 100 gm granulated sugar
- 41 gm unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 32 gm vegetable oil
- 1 egg white, room temperature
- 45 gm sour cream, room temperature
- 28 gm whole milk, room temperature
- 28 gm pink champagne + extra for brushing on top
- 1 tsp. Vanilla essence
For the strawberry champagne buttercream:
- 141 gm unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅛ tsp. Salt
- 10 gm freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
- 250 gm powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. pink champagne
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C.
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and butter. Using a handheld mixer or a paddle attachment, beat the mixture until fully incorporated. Keep beating till the butter is fully mixed in and no lumps remain.
- Then add the oil, egg white, sour cream, milk, pink champagne, and vanilla. Beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and collect everything in the middle again. Beat again until everything is mixed in well. You should have a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them ⅔ full. Bake for about 20 minutes. The exact time will differ depending on what machine you're using. A good sign to know it's done is to insert a toothpick in the middle of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, it's good.
- With the toothpick, poke multiple holes into each cupcake. Use a pastry brush to brush some pink champagne on each. Set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, make the frosting. To make the strawberry champagne buttercream, beat butter, salt and strawberries in a bowl. Use a handheld mixer and beat on high until it leads to a soft and fluffy mixture. Add the sugar a little bit at a time. Add a few spoons, beat it until the sugar has been fully incorporated, then add more sugar. Continue like this till all the sugar has been dissolved in the mixture. Then add the champagne and beat for another minute. Place the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, you can start frosting them. Make sure they have cooled completely. If they are still warm, the frosting will melt and drip everywhere. You can either use the back of a spoon to add a blob of frosting on each cupcake, or you can use a piping bag with a design to create an intricate pattern on the cupcakes.
- Top with a slice of strawberry and serve cool.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- Make sure that the butter you are using is at room temperature. If you use cold butter, it won't mix in properly with the other ingredients and it will lead to a crumbly mixture. So if your butter is in the fridge, let it sit out for a while till it reaches room temperature, and then use.
- The egg white, sour cream, and whole milk also need to be at room temperature. The egg white is responsible for giving the cupcake its moist form. The sour cream adds lightness to the cupcakes. And the whole milk binds all the dry ingredients together. So you want everything to work in the proper, natural way, which is why it needs to be at room temperature.
- It's best to use full-fat whole milk to get soft, moist cupcakes. If you use a low-fat milk, it won't be as dense. However, in a pinch, you can also use a non dairy option like almond milk, oat milk, soy milk or any other milk you might want to use.