We need to have a talk. THE talk.
You see, when a man and a woman love each other and are in a caring, committed relationship.
Sometimes…they do things. For each other. With each other. To each other.
Special things.
For instance…they might pick a day. A random day. A day that means nothing.
(Usually somewhere around, oh say, February 14th.)
And they’ll mutually agree that on that day, the man will buy the woman flowers. And chocolate. And she’ll giggle and throw things at him and accuse him of trying to make her fat.
And then they’ll take to the streets and pervade our restaurants with their cooing and their googly eyes and their hand holding.
Finally, when all the cooing and hand holding and weird eye stuff is over. They’ll go home and do more stuff. More special stuff.
Maybe. If the man is lucky.
And us single ladies?
We are also going to be doing special things.
We are going to be pounding tequila shots like it’s our job. Getting tattoos that say “LOVE SUCKS” across our lower backs. Putting all of our cookbooks into bed with us so that it seems like, maybe, for just one uncomfortable hard-covered-book-edge-in-our-back night, we are not quite so alone.
Or not.
Maybe we’ll just celebrate our single-lady-ness.
Toast to ourselves on a champagne cupcake.
Make a wish on a sparkling wine star.
Or just be grateful that, not only can we make ourselves happy, but we can also whip up a pretty damn fine cupcake. We are serious catches. And anyone would be lucky to have us.
Amen.
Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes
Makes 17, adapted from SprinkleBakes
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups AP flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup champagne, prosecco, or any sparkling wine
Champagne Pastry Cream Filling
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
- 1/2 cup champagne or prosecco
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
Champagne Frosting
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp champagne or prosecco, divided
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. 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 Greek yogurt (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 to cool completely.
For the filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk cornstarch in 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Combine the remaining heavy cream, sugar and 1/2 cup champagne in a saucepan; bring to a boil then remove from heat.
- Beat the whole egg and egg yolks into the cornstarch/heavy cream mixture in the stand mixer. With the stand mixer on, slowly pour 1/3 of boiling champagne mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs do not cook. Return the remaining champagne/heavy cream mixture to a boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.
- Cut a divot into the top of each cupcake and fill with pastry cream. Trim the cut-out cake pieces flat to make a “lid” and place on top of the filled divot.
For the frosting:
- Place 1 cup of champagne in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a small bowl or condiment cup and allow to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream softened butter and powdered sugar together. Once the frosting is thick and fluffy, pour in the reduced 2 tbsp. champagne plus 1 tbsp. champagne from the bottle and mix well.
- Frost the cream-filled cupcakes and decorate.
I am submitting these to Bake with Bizzy!
Oh man, champagne in cupcakes? Awesome! I’m thinking that it’s okay to sample a fair amount of both the filling and the frosting while making these, right?? And it’s also probably a good idea to taste test the champagne, just to make sure it’s quality enough to go in a cupcake…
Give me a bubbly cupcake over a regretful tattoo any day. Gone all gooey over the prettiness of that delightfully iced cupcake of yours!
This sounds perfect for my upcoming ladies night (no, not one of those wild and crazy nights- it’s really a book club…but a pot luck nonetheless)! 🙂
We single ladies deserve the best!!!!
They look absolutely sublime! I love the idea of the champagne buttercream.
My icing always looks like I gave a spatula to a demented three year old.
I used to love/ hate spin just because it made me sweat when I couldn’t run but right now, I’ll all about elliptical and kickboxing for cross training.
MUST make! 😉
These are so pretty!
Anyone would be insanely lucky to have you! Love these cupcakes for any occasion!
These are beautiful, Joanne! I’ve been wanting to do some baking with Champagne lately…and this sounds like a wonderful place to start.
OMG! Those cupcakes would make any gentleman worth his … worth your time sit up and take notice! Baking with champagne? Sounds like a bodice-ripper novel title! Sooo romantic!
Mmm, I can see we are getting funcy here! Although I don’t drink I love the addition of alcohol in cooking and baking. These cupcakes are superb and I would gladly keep them for myself!
Gosh, I can’t believe you are already talking about V-Day! You are one serious catch, Joanne! 🙂
love love love your pics here. I can tell you are doing something a little different…?
And these cupcakes. Oh my. Probably better than anything my husband would think to get me on that day. I’d rather celebrate with you!
This is perfect for “Single Awareness Day” or “It’s Snowing, Let’s Bake” day. Champagne in the batter? You know I’m going to make it.
I was anti-Valentine’s Day for many years. I was so opposed to it that even after we got married, it took me a few years to actually enjoy celebrating it. If I’d had these champagne cupcakes in those many single years, I might actually have looked forward to it!
I want one – seriously I am so curious about the flavors. I need to hold on to this recipe. And please no lower back tattoos.
Simply spark(l)ing!
Hi Joanne!
we dont realy celebrate valentines day, its more of an american commercial festivity. But the cupcakes look awesome and if we were celebrating calentines day then I d tell me husband to get me those! Pretty photos by the way. thx for sharing!
You are so funny! Be happy your single! The worse part about being married is when days like V-day come, your HUsband says it’s a commercial holiday and you know what you get? Nothing! You spend the day making choclate treats, special dinners and plastering hearts everywhere, just to be disapointed because he forgot. At least beiing single won’t put you through that disapointment!
Now these cupcakes look so dam good! Your photos are gorgeous as always!
My husband (and most men in Australi) think Valentine’s Day is silly.
“It’s an American holiday, Maureen.”
“I’m an American, John.”
“I’m not. and Valentine’s day is silly. I love you 365 days a year, not just one day. You want just one day?”
“uhhh, no.”
So I don’t get flowers or candy or even a mention. Not to say he doesn’t love me but I might as well be single on that day. I could join you.
These cupcakes are brilliant!
Oh, wow. These are some serious cupcakes. So beautiful!
Blah to V day. I’d rather pound tequila shots than try to look sexy making weird, goofy eyes.
that pastry cream i could eat up in one sitting.
valentines day is soooo overrated
Perfect cupcakes with yummy filling!
I love the champagne in cupcakes! What an awesome idea. I’m glad you’re not restricting these to single ladies . . . because that may have forced my hand to do something drastic. =)
Ok…where do I start?! First, after reading this….I want to hang out with you. I love my husband and he’s my moon and stars but you just made it all sound like a sweet time, hanging out together, enjoying some cupcakes!
Those are righteous looking cupcakes by the way.
And, thank you for your nice comment at my place and thanks for sticking with me even though I am a dedicated meat eater (bacon in particular 🙂
I think the tofu crumbles we talked about are made by Morningstar and I used to get them in the fresh produce section at my grocery store. I used them in chili and lots of times in Shepherds pie.
Well these certainly sound delicious… maybe I should ditch Jake and hang out with you on VDay… you bring the cupcakes, I’ll bring the flowers and chocolate!
Omg, I love this post. As a newly single lady, I totally agree. I am excited to celebrate Vday by loving my life and loving my friends and family! And I LOVE champagne, so I will probably be making these cupcakes. Thank you.
I made a champagne and chocolate dessert a couple weeks ago and could hardly believe how much it tasted like champagne. I bet I would LOVE these. They look beautiful as well. Definitely make plans and go toast to singleness. Although, personally, I’d skip that particular tattoo. ha.
What beautiful cupcakes! Thanks for “the talk,” *wink*
Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Oooh, pretty! These sound so delicious 😀
What a wonderful post! And these cupcakes are absolutely divine!
I would love to curl up with a plate of these. I’m so curious how it all tastes.
You, the cookies, and the cupcakes…all fabulous!!
Glad we had this little talk and glad you shared these yummy cupcakes
If it makes you feel better, actually celebrating Valentine’s day like a proper couple is horrible. Unless you like waxy chocolate hearts, overcrowded, overpriced restaurants serving uninspired special menus, and ridiculously high pressure to make everything perfect. We’re staying home and playing video games this year, and maybe heading to the gym if we get home from work early enough. Who needs to add bad chocolate and flowers for the cats to eat (and then throw up on the carpet) to a perfectly good night?
Single or not, there’s always got to be enough wiggle room for cupcakes with a champagne cream filling!
I’m with you on the single-ness. I’m getting depressed already from the mushiness that’s happening EVERYWHERE! Also, wh does everything you make look so. freaking. amazing? I mean, I want to make all of it!
OMG, be still my heart. Gorgeous Joanne. Love this celebratory idea!
You are such a gem, my dear. I always loathe V-day for the same reason that all single people do, but it sounds like so much more fun to celebrate our single-ness instead. Any excuse to drink/eat champagne is a good one, really. 😉
I don’t need a reason to want or eat one of these cupcakes. Have mercy! And until the federal government declares Valentine’s Day a national holiday, then I’m not celebrating it.
How beautiful! And these cupcakes don’t snore or accidentally hit you in the face with their arm at night either. What a wonderful list of ingredients. I love to see how the champagne tastes in these!
Very classy and pretty! Love the idea, and the little sugar pearls on top–makes them look like…champagne bubbles! 🙂
That filling sounds amazing! And they look so pretty. I recently made some mini cupcakes and decorated them with pearls, but I’ve been taking a while to get a post up about them.
Dear Joanne, What a lovely cupcake!! What a great post! Valentine’s Day is one of those holiday’s that I buy my kids and my little dog a present and celebrate that I am not sad anymore!! Blessings my dear, Catherine xoxo
Dear Joanne, What a lovely cupcake!! What a great post! Valentine’s Day is one of those holiday’s that I buy my kids and my little dog a present and celebrate that I am not sad anymore!! Blessings my dear, Catherine xoxo
Those cupcakes are adorable. I need some of those little candy ball decoration thingies. Can you tell that “fancy” and “food” don’t often get together in my conversation?
Yum! These look great! The champagne pastry cream must really put these over the top in the delish department:)
Beautiful cupcakes!Love the decorations! Valentines Day is overrated! I do remember though when I was single, it didn’t seem that way 🙂
The thing I hate most about being busy…missing all of your absolutely fantastic blog posts. Seriously Joanne your blog=what I aspire to be someday.
Your pictures, your writing skills, and your recipes amaze me!
You are completely HILARIOUS. I love your sense of humor. And those cupcakes? Well. So dainty and cute, made for savoring while flipping through that pile of cookbooks in bed. Food mags have less pointy edges…
Those cupcakes look amazing – a quite a “lady” cupcake – beautiful! I think these cupcakes win over the “love sucks” tattoo!
Oh sure, never noticed the Costco muffins and I have to go there next week…dang! Now I’ll be looking for them even though I won’t buy any (thank goodness) because of the budget. But there may be some serious sniffing through the cellophane going on. 🙂 The cupcakes are totally gorgeous! Such decadence!
It’s funny how “the talk” changes meaning based on where you on in life. Right now everyone I know who is having “the talk” is so far removed from Valentine’s Day. It involves telling your husband he better pitch in around the house and with the baby OR ELSE. Not especially romantic.
Oh I love the sound of that: Sparkling Champagne Cupcake!
I am loving these cupcakes, Joanne. Of course, who doesn’t adore champagne?? In any form! Perfect for an afternoon tea, which is the only way I can make cupcakes and not eat them all myself.
Sitting down for breakfast and looking at and reading about your cupcakes, thinking: those would make great breakfast fare, I am drooling!
These are so pretty. Love them!
These look amazing! There is something so elegant about champagne in anything. I do have a Valentine, but we are more on the other end of the spectrum. But maybe bourbon shots instead of tequila and no tattoos.
champagne and cupcakes? together? perfect.
They are so pretty! I’d love them to celebrate my love of cupcakes!
Hey Joanne – I posted this in “My Bookmarks” today – come see!
You rock at baking, these are beautiful!
And I always get a pass on Valentine’s day since our anniversary is just a few days later, we celebrate then! Bwahahaha.
You’re the coolest single chick I know. If you’d ever like to borrow a few of my cookbooks to sleep with you are more than welcome. Or, if you bake me these cupcakes, I’d be happy to stay over. But no funny stuff.
I think I could eat a big old bowl of the champagne pastry cream filling by itself! These cupcakes look fantastic!
What a great story. I love it when the writing draws you in and you have to keep reading right through to the end. And of course, from the very title, I wanted to know more about these cupcakes. I’ve never heard of cooking with champagne. The cupcakes look so perfect and inviting. I will have to try these and learn how to swirl the frosting so it looks like yours. And yes, 15 year old girls can be very trying and they always want to be twice their age, that is, until they get there.
Joanne Those cupcakes are adorables and lovely!!!!!! love them!! beautiful!!
BEAUTIFUL! Frosting tutorial please!
Oh girl, you are too funny. This is an excellent use for the odd 1/2 bottle of champagne left from New Years. I made a reduction sauce for fish out of mine.
The cupcakes rock! here is a toast to all the ladies single or not…We rock.
I am so wishing I had one of these right now.
filled cupcakes are my obsession right now, so bravo on these! the little pearls on top are a lovely touch.
This is bad. Very bad. I’ve kinda been addicted to “Cupcake Wars” lately. So much that we’ve been going to the local cupcake shop on Saturdays (our Cupcake lady was on the show 3 times…and came in second 3 times…)
Valentines Day is so over-rated. Something these cupcakes are definitely not. I’ll take these over flowers from a man any day. These are way more gorgeous. And champagne in a cupcake? Elevates them into something very elegant.
Oh sweet girl, you know how to make me swoon. I adore champagne. But in a cupcake? I’m in heaven. This is far better than ANY valentine treat. Each time I’m here, I feel admiration…and my stomach rumbles. Thank you so much for sharing tonight. These look delicious (as always!)
These really are lovely. The champagne makes them truly special. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings…Mary
I really want that recipe – not because I want cupcakes with champas but because we never make it through a bottle and it hangs around! (Well that is my excuse). As for Valentines Day – I thought it was punishment for men who didn’t bother for the rest of the year 🙂
Gorgeous pictures Joanne! And that cupcake looks pretty darn amazing as well. You got some skillzzz…you should toast to that, too!
CHAMPAGNE CUPCAKES! I would happily sleep with a pile of cookbooks beside me if I could have these. Am most definitely going to be trying these, they sound just gorgeous.
Wow, so much champagne concentrated into these. It should come with a warning “don’t eat and drive”!. Sounds absolutely delicious though
I felt that way about Valentine’s Day when I was single, too. And now that I’m an old married woman — LOL — I feel even more emphatic that the holiday is a lot of hooey. My hubby and I don’t celebrate it, neither do any of our other close, married friends. Why manufacture a holiday to express emotions you should share every single day of the year — not just on one commercialized one? 😉
pretty name and pretty cupcake. even as a married girl, i’ve never been much a fan of v-day. just too much hype for me, not near as good as these cupcakes!
I pinned Heather’s champagne cupcake photo long ago, because it’s so exquisite. I’m so glad that you made them, so you could satisfy my curiosity that not only were hers gorgeous, but they are good! Now, I want to try them for myself. For as long as I’ve faithfully read your blog, I’ve come to the conclusion that– even if I don’t make your recipe– my appetite for needed a laugh or two, at your life’s musings fills me up just right. You are funny, no doubt. You are the new Erma Bomback. For reals.
So pretty! I’ve always liked valentine’s day because it’s an excuse to eat a bit more chocolate than usual – single or in a relationship! Might have to eat more cupcakes instead this year 🙂
They look heavenly with that fantastic frosting!
Those are some elegant and delicious-looking cupcakes. I could happily drown a few Valentines Day sorrows in some. 😉
These are gorgeous and would be a great celebratory cupcake on any day!
I hope you had a great weekend!
The perfect Valentine’s Day treat! We do giggle and coo, but rarely take to the streets. 😉
and now i am wishing i hadn’t drank all the champagne. One more reason to go to the store and get more right? Love these cupcakes! Amazing
You had me at pastry cream. These look incredible.
I love the sound of these and those little dragees (is that the right word?) are SO pretty on the frosting!
delicious cupcakes!! i am of the hating of that certain date in feb, and i’m sure that won’t change even when i’m not single 🙂
I *almost* made champagne cupcakes a few weeks back. Barefoot sent me a bottle of $10 bubbly – it would be perfect to make these. You know, whether married, committed, or single, I always loved Valentine’s Day. A day that celebrates love? All kinds? Count me in! And you can just hop a train and celebrate with us. 🙂
I kind just want to make the pastry cream and enjoy it by its lonesome, with a big spoon, which wearing my PJs, wrapped in a blanket, on the couch, watching Dirt Dancing. Wanna join me Joanne?
The cupcakes DO sparkle!
The pastry cream surprise on the inside would be addictive, I am sure.
Nice.
🙂
V
I’m going to be a rebel here and say that I love Valentine’s day, always have. I love it now as a day to proclaim my love with public displays of desk flowers that are unacceptable for a man 364 other days of the year, and I loved it before when it meant exchanging cards across the Atlantic ocean with my best friend.
But I need something clarified. In the ingredients for the cake, you call for 1/2 cup of low-fat greek yogurt, but then in the directions you call for 1/2 cup sour cream. This may be a common baking substitution that I am unaware of in my ignorance of all things healthy-chic, but I don’t want to waste this beautiful bottle of pink sparkly champagne so I want to get it right. Which one?
Hey Sarah! Thanks for your comment! Hopefully I will NOT be spending my V-Day pounding tequila shots, but instead spending it with the friends and fam who I love…but you never know. 😛 Thanks for that catch! The originally recipe called for sour cream, which I detest with the fiery passion of 1,000 sun, so I switched in nonfat greek yogurt instead, since I always have it on hand. The two have very similar texture and flavor so I always use Greek yogurt instead. I just forgot to change the instructions in the recipe when I posted it. You can use either, though!
These look lovely and I can’t wait to try them. One commenter asked substituting sour cream for the Greek yogurt. Can you use plain yogurt as well?
this looks like it will be what I bake for my girlfriend’s birthday! thanks for the great photos and delicious (i hope) recipe! :o) and happy cupcake day to everyone!
Honestly, I wish you could send baked goods through the mail.
Every time you post new pictures, I’m ready to lick my computer screen, too.
Those cupcakes look so delicious and champagne takes it up a notch! I wish I lived closer, too. If I ever make it to you home town, could you bake me some sweet treats for the trip home? 🙂
Used these to impress friends last night at our annual Cupcake Bowl! They were so delicious, having trouble not eating them for my meals today 🙂
Great recipe! I’ve made them before and got rave reviews. Making again soon for a celebration and can’t remember what I did before. Chill the champagne or room temp??
Thanks!
Hi Kim, It doesn’t really matter. I’m pretty sure I chilled it, mostly so that I could drink the leftovers.