Champagne Cupcakes for a Happy New Year

This New Years I experiment with making a new festive treat, Champagne cupcakes.   

 Champagne Cupcakes (Makes 12)



Cake: 

1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sparkling wine, you can use something inexpensive for this.  I got a ten dollar Prosecco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.  in a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup sour cream (mixture will fizz and bubble a little).  Add flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour.  Batter will be thick.

Fill cupcake papers with 1/4 cup level measures of batter.  Bake for 17-22 minutes.  Set aside.


 Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup sparkling wine

Bring the sparkling wine to a simmer in a small sauce pan and simmer until reduced to 2 tbsp, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.   Add the reduced sparkling wine and beat again.  Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes and decorate with gold sprinkles.


Of course New Years Eve is the time to make resolutions and I have but one this year.  I am trying to resolve to be more like my dogs and live moment by moment.  For a chronic worrier like myself this is a major challenge.  Right now I am struggling to stop obsessing over Tubby's latest blood test results which show his white blood cell count to be half what it should be.  He doesn't have any tick related diseases or signs of viral infection so of course my mind immediately jumped to cancer.   I'm doing my best not to think about but boy is it hard.  Good thoughts for my boy would be appreciated, I know he is not a youngster at nearly 13 but I don't feel like he is that ancient either and I really want him around a bit longer.

 
 We hope everyone has a lovely New Years Eve!