Champagne & Chambord Cupcakes

I was asked to bake a dozen cupcakes for a coworker's baby shower yesterday in the office, and I jumped at the opportunity to try out a new recipe. I've made cupcakes for many small office parties before, and I've noticed that all of the people in my group (who are women) seem to prefer fruit flavors over chocolate ones.

These delicious cupcakes feature a champagne cake filled with a fresh raspberry puree and topped with a Chambord buttercream...sooo delicious! I received great feedback on these cupcakes - everyone seemed to really like them! I think they would be perfect to make again for New Year's Eve, don't you?

(click to enlarge)

Champagne & Chambord cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes
adapted from Objetivo: Cupcake Perfecto

For the cupcakes...

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 3/4 tablespoons champagne

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cupcake tin with 12 paper liners. (I used these gorgeous black and white ivy liners - they complimented the fuchsia frosting nicely.)
2. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer until they are light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
5. Add half of the dry mixture to the standing mixer, beating on high speed until it's fully incorporated.
6. Add the milk and continue to beat on high speed.
7. Add the other half of the dry mixture and continue to beat well.
8. Add the champagne.
9. Fill each liner and bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

For the filling...

• about 8 oz of fresh raspberries
• 4 tablespoons of sugar

1. Combine half of the raspberries with the sugar and puree it. I used my food processor and let it go for about a minute or so.
2. Stick it in the fridge to cool and get a bit thicker. 
3. Once the cupcakes and the puree have cooled, use a cupcake corer to create a hole in the center of each cupcake. Be careful not to poke all the way to the bottom or the puree will spill out of the cupcakes! 
4. Using a small spoon, gently fill the center of each cupcake with a bit of puree until it reaches the top of the cake.
5. Save the other half of the raspberries to decorate your cupcakes with.

For the frosting... (this will give you more than enough so you can pile it on high)

• 3 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6-8 cups of confectioner's sugar
• 6 tablespoons of champagne
• 3 teaspoons Chambord
• fuchsia food coloring gel
• silver luster dust

1. Beat the butter until it's light and fluffy.
2. Add the champagne and Chambord.
3. Add the sugar one cup at a time until the frosting reaches a nice consistency.
4. Add a little bit of food coloring gel at a time until it's the color you want and beat until it's all blended in.
5. Decorate with raspberries and silver luster dust for a beautiful cupcake!