| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 12 cupcakes |
Ingredients
- 1 half-bottle (375 ml) champagne or other sparkling wine (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped (pod reserved for the frosting)
- 1 large egg, separated
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
- Sugar pearls, for decorating
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Pour the champagne into a bowl and whisk until the bubbles dissipate. Combine 1/2 cup of the champagne and the vanilla extract in a small bowl. Set aside the remaining champagne for the frosting.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolk and beat until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the champagne-vanilla mixture in two batches, until just combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds of the way. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: Put 1 1/2 tablespoons of the reserved champagne in a small bowl; sprinkle the gelatin on top and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar, salt and egg yolks in a small saucepan until smooth. Whisk in the remaining champagne (about 1 cup) and add the vanilla pod. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the hot custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large metal bowl; discard the vanilla pod. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Refrigerate the custard, stirring every 5 minutes, until it is the consistency of soft whipped cream, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Add the whipped cream to the custard and gently whisk until combined. Refrigerate the frosting, gently folding with a rubber spatula every 5 minutes, until thick enough to pipe, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Working quickly, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Decorate with sugar pearls. Refrigerate immediately to set the frosting, at least 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 260 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 23 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 106 mg |
| Sodium | 179 mg |
Reviews
Cool
I made these as part of our New Year Celebration and they were wonderful. I did not use a vanilla bean as they were very expensive at the store ($22 for 4 small ones!) so I used 1 Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract in place of the seeds. In the frosting I used 3/4 Tbsp to replace the pod. The cupcakes still have a wonderful vanilla undertone without being medicinal. The champagne flavor is enough but not overpowering. The frosting took longer than the 10 to 20 minutes to set but turned out beautifully! It was a process to make these but worth it and we will absolutely make them again!
I took on the challenge of making each cupcake for the year with my 8 year old son. Unfortunately, the amount of champagne in the frosting was too overpowering and I didn’t find it suitable for kids. My co-workers really enjoyed them, though! Disappointed in how lumpy my frosting turned out…wished it looked more smooth like the photo.
These cupcakes were pretty good. You were able to taste the champagne without it being overpowering. The custard frosting was amazing although mine came out a little more yellow that the one pictured. I gave it four stars because my only complaint was that the cupcakes itself had more of a muffin like texture instead of a soft spongy cupcake. This wasn’t a deal breaker though, they still tasted good.
I only got 10 cupcakes from this recipe. VERY expensive to make
I don’t recommend you sub any whole-wheat flour for the AP called for. I did half ww and half AP and the cupcakes didn’t rise much, and they had a muffin texture, not a cupcake texture. I didn’t make the frosting b/c I didn’t have all the ingredients it called for; I used a seven-minute frosting recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Fortunately, the tweaked cupcakes were still edible.
Please check out my food blog at http://www.what-marsha-eats.tumblr.com
Very champagne-y. The frosting wasn’t working out well for us. Not my favorite.
You either love them or hate them. The champagne gives it a unique taste.
Amazing! I made these exactly as instructed and they are elegant and delicious. The frosting is amazing. I will be keeping this recipe.