Champagne Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to me! That's right - this is a very special "it's my birthday" blog post, and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate with y'all than by sharing with you another "Pop Liz Clink" recipe - Champagne Cupcakes. They're perfect for birthdays, wedding and baby showers, New Year's celebrations, or even a simple movie night with the girls. Just change out the frosting or add some sprinkles to customize them for your special occasion.

When it comes to cooking, I'm a big believer in the old adage "the simpler the better", and this recipe definitely falls into that category. So, don't let the addition of champagne (something not super common in baking) scare you off - because really and truly - this recipe is a sinch.

First, cream together 2/3 cup butter and 1 1/4 cups white sugar into a bowl.

Next, time to pop the champagne!

And, it just wouldn't be right to not set aside a little glass to sip on while making the rest of the recipe. You don't want the champagne to go to waste, after all.

For this recipe, I chose my favorite mid-price range Graham Beck sparking rosé, but you can certainly deviate and substitute for a cheaper bottle or for your personal favorite.

Now, sift (or don't if you don't mind the cupcakes being a little more dense) 2 3/4 cup flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt into the sugar mixture making sure to stir in the dry ingredients while simultaneously adding 3/4 to 1 cup of champagne.

Don't panic if the batter doesn't look quite right just yet - that's where the eggs whites come in.

Now, set the champagne batter aside, and crack six egg whites into a separate bowl.

Mix the egg whites until you get stiff peaks. If you're unsure of what that looks like, just watch this quick YouTube video for guidance. Gently fold the egg whites into the champagne batter.

Now, pour the batter into a greased muffin pan and cook at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

After the cupcakes have had time to cool off, just frost with the icing of your choice.

I just used some store bought frosting, but this recipe I found for a champagne frosting looks delicious.

To add a little sparkle (other than the champagne sparkle, of course), I wrapped my cupcakes in these fabulous gold glitter wraps I found at Anthropologie. That adorable "How to Make a Birthday Cake" recipe napkin is so gorgeous in person and is also from Anthropologie.

I'm showing off my sparkling cupcake on this gold-rimmed cupcake stand.

Finally - simply enjoy.

I highly recommend "double fisting" your glass of champagne with your cupcake as demonstrated above. It's certainly the classiest double fist I've ever seen, so don't hesitate. ;)

 Ingredients: 

• 3/4 - 1 cup champagne
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 egg whites

Directions:

1. Cream together 1 1/4 cup sugar with 2/3 cup butter.
2. Sift (or don't if you don't mind the cupcakes being a little more dense) 2 3/4 cup flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt into the sugar mixture making sure to stir in the dry ingredients while simultaneously adding 3/4 to 1 cup of champagne.
3. In a separate bowl, beat 6 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into champagne batter.
4. Spoon batter into a greased muffin pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Note: these cupcakes will be a little denser than your typical cupcake and will have a similar density to a muffin or even cornbread. That is completely normal, and in my opinion, makes them pair even better with a glass of champagne.

Be sure to shop both my look (my lace sweater is on sale for only $50!), and my cupcake accessories below.

Cheers!

P.S. I would love to celebrate with y’all, so be sure to share with me your own champagne experiences using the hashtag #poplizclink on social media.

These pictures were taken by the lovely and talented Jessica Scott. 

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