Chocolate, Raspberry & Champagne Cupcakes

Confession: I don't like champagne. Not even the occasional glass. BUT - these cupcakes? They are the best cupcakes I have ever had. For real. 

My sister made them several weeks ago so we could actually eat delicious cupcakes while we watched Cupcake Wars. It's kinda a vicious cycle, you know? We watch Cupcake Wars and we have to have make cupcakes. We make exotic cupcakes and we have to watch Cupcake Wars.

When she made these cupcakes for us I posted a picture on Facebook and Instagram and said I would be sharing the recipe soon. At the time I thought the champagne was a twist she added to a cupcake recipe she had. I have found out since that she actually found it on a blog. The chocolate was an added twist, so I'm still going to share the recipe here. But feel free to look up the original recipe at The Cupcake Blog. 

Chocolate, Raspberry & Champagne Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

​2 3/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup champagne, room temperature
5 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla

I didn't use cake flour. I researched it a little and I think the cupcakes would've turned out better if I had, but I didn't have it and I didn't have cornstarch to make a substitute. {yeah, I need to go grocery shopping!} You can find the substitute formula here. 

Now, mix your dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy. {Several minutes}. Add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Alternately mix in the dry ingredients and the champagne, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just blended.

Fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 full. You should get about 20 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mix up the ganache while the cupcakes are baking.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Put the chocolate chips and whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each time. Be very careful not to burn it! You can also melt them together in a saucepan on your stovetop. Set aside and let cool a little. Now on to the best part! ;)

Raspberry Champagne Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons pureed raspberries (strained to remove seeds)
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup champagne 
1 teaspoon vanilla
​dash of salt

Using your electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the raspberries, salt and vanilla and mix well. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Finally, add the champagne, a little at a time until your reach the right consistency. I only used about a 1/4 cup and it was still a little runnier that I wanted it to be.

Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled use a knife or a spoon to scoop out a bit of the middle. Unless you're a huge chocolate fan I would suggest not taking out too much. The chocolate can overpower the raspberry and champagne flavors very easily! 

Spoon the ganache in and then swirl the frosting over top. You want to make sure the cupcake and the ganache are completely cool before you put the frosting on though!

If you don't like the idea of that much chocolate on your cupcakes you can also simply melt chocolate chips and spread a little over the top of the cupcake, let it cool and then frost them. This is how my sister made them and they were delicious that way as well!

You can also melt chocolate chips, put it in a small bag, clip a small hole in a corner and pipe out little hearts {or any design} to use as a garnish.

And there you go - the perfect special occasion cupcake! Or the perfect filler for that craving that Cupcake Wars threw at you. ;) 

I'd love to hear what you made them for, how they turned out for you and anything else you'd like to share about cupcakes or Cupcake Wars! :)

​Blessings!

p.s. I usually post only very family friendly recipes, but these are obvious Daddy & Mommy Cupcakes, unless you leave the champagne out of the frosting. Just saying. :)
It is totally possible to substitute water for the champagne and maybe a little extra raspberry puree. Which is what I'll be doing for my kiddos. :)

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