Champagne Cupcakes

Happy New Year!!!  The beginning of the new year is always filled with hope and wishes for a fresh start.   To celebrate the last day of 2011, and my hopes for 2012, I had to make cupcakes.  

My husband and I enjoy spending New Years eve on at home, relaxing on the couch together.  It’s almost become a tradition that I make Swordfish in a Lunchbag (my very first post on this blog!) for dinner.  So I decided to make a quick dessert as well.  Since I knew I’d be opening a bottle of champagne – and what better to use a bit of it for champagne cupcakes.  Don’t worry – there will be plenty left in the bottle to drink the rest of the night.

This recipe makes 4 cupcakes – which is perfect for the two of us.  We each had one on New Years eve. And then had the other the next day.   You can definitely taste the champagne in the frosting and you can see the bubbles in the cupcakes from the champagne fizz. 

You don’t have to wait for New Years eve 2012 to make these – I promise that you can find any ordinary reason to celebrate and enjoy these!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes (makes 4 cupcakes):

• 1/4  cup canola oil
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. champagne
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated orange/tangerine zest
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of baking soda

For the frosting:

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. champagne

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 4 cups in a muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, champagne, vanilla and orange zest and beat to combine.  Sprinkle on top the flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Beat lightly to combine—do not overmix. 

3. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting: beat together in a medium bowl the butter, powdered sugar and champagne. Frost cupcakes and serve.

Source: adapted from EatLiveRun

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