Pink Champagne and Raspberry Cupcakes!

These cheery pink cupcakes are made like a 7-Up cake, but with sweet pink champagne instead! Topped with a raspberry buttercream, they are a perfect way to bring in the New Year!!!

INGREDIENTS: (printable recipe)

Cupcakes:

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sweet champagne or bubbly wine (I used Barefoot Bubbly, and wished it had been sweeter)
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3 cups granulated sugar

Frosting:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons raspberry extract
• pink food coloring gel (as desired for coloring both cupcakes and frosting)
• fun sprinkles! (I used edible star glitter and pearls—love them!!!)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees
• Place 24 cupcake liners into muffin tins
• In a medium bowl, combine champagne, eggs, and vanilla
• In a second medium bowl, mix together flour and salt
• Use an electric mixer to beat together 2 sticks of softened butter, shortening and granulated sugar.
• Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes
• With the mixer on low speed, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/3 of the champagne mixture.
• Alternate the flour and champagne, mixing until well combined.
• Add a little bit of pink food coloring gel if you want a pink tint to your cupcakes and combine well.
• Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners
• Bake at 350F degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
• Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
• When cupcakes are cool, you can add a little extra champagne taste by poking holes in the top of each cupcake with a toothpick and brushing the tops of each cupcake with champagne. 
• Make frosting by combining all of the frosting ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beating on low until combined and then on high until light and very fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
• Pipe frosting on tops of cooled cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles as desired.
• ENJOY!!

My thoughts:  These are just fun little cupcakes.  Use the sweetest sparkling wine/champagne you can though.  For an alcohol-free treat use sparkling grape juice.  I made a valiant attempt at including the champagne in the frosting, but it was TERRIBLE.  Simple buttercream with a touch of raspberry flavor was perfect instead.

Happy New Year!!!!!

~r

Other fun New Years recipe ideas: