Pink Champagne Cupcakes Recipe from "Trophy Cupcakes & Party!"

Well, kids, today's the day! The official launch date of Trophy Cupcakes & Party! by Jennifer Shea! It seems oh-so-fitting to celebrate the day with Pink Champagne Cupcakes and so, as promised, here is the recipe to Jennifer's scrumptiously celebratory cupcakes! Enjoy!
 
TROPHY'S PINK CHAMPAGNE CUPCAKES
makes 2 dozen

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup champagne
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Combine the champagne, half-and-half, and food coloring in a large measuring cup with a spout. Set aside.
• Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat them at low speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute if the butter is soft. If the butter is cool, it will take longer. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl after each addition, and waiting until all traces of each egg have disappeared before adding next one.
• Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with adding the wet ingredients in 2 parts. Keep the mixer at the lowest speed and mix each time just until the ingredients are combined. When everything has been added, scrape the bowl and paddle one more time, and stir the batter just until it's smooth. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes and stir gently before using.
• Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake until the tops of the cupcakes are firm and a cake tester inserted into the center of a middle cupcake comes our with just a few crumbs, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pans before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Pink Champagne Buttercream

3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted*
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon champagne
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Red food coloring

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Start with the mixer at the lowest speed, then gradually increase the speed, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl as needed, until the butter is light in color, perfectly smooth, and makes a slapping sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. If the butter is soft, this should only take 30 seconds, but if the butter is cool, it can take a couple of minutes.
• Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix at the lowest speed until it's fully incorporated before adding the next cup. When all the sugar has been added, scrape the paddle and the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the champagne, vanilla, salt, and a drop or two of food coloring (or add more for a darker, deeper pink shade), and beat them at low speed for 15 seconds. Increase the speed to as high as you can without making a mess and whip the buttercream until the mixutre is perfectly smooth, creamy, and light, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape the bowl and paddle, then continue beating. At first the buttercream will appear to soften, then it will stiffen and increase in volume.
• Use right away, or store in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator. When you're ready to use it, let the buttercream come to room temperature, then put it back in the stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to beat it until it's creamy and stiff again.

* I tend to like my frosting on the less sweet side so I added the confectioners' sugar to taste (about 3 cups).
 

A big "Thank you!" to Jennifer for graciously allowing me to reproduce this recipe here!

PHOTOGRAPHS, CRAFTING AND STYLING BY UNCLE BEEFY