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Champagne Cupcakes with Grapefruit Curd….and NEWS!

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Champagne Cupcakes with Grapefruit Curd

So- Guess what? I’M ENGAGED!!! I really wanted to wait until the end of the post to announce that but I am reallly bad at holding things in. Ask my new Fiancé (ok that is SO weird to say,) and he’ll tell you how I announced the news to every random person we passed on the street that entire day.  I just get too excited about things and I can’t wait to tell! That is why the first thing I did when I got back to NYC from San Francisco Monday was bake these cupcakes so I could announce this ASAP.

So yeah, could my weekend in California have been any better? I am beyond thrilled. Now I no longer have to hide the fact that I’ve had a wedding Pintrest page for the past 6 months. (Shhhh don’t tell!) I also may or may not have created a registry yesterday (5 days post engagement,) just so I could add one lone item to it. A KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Sigh…..I have been dreaming about one for way too long. I am perfectly aware that I won’t be getting it for months (we haven’t even set a date yet,) but it was just the fact that I put it out there. Get me? I can’t wait for the major kitchen supply upgrade- woohoo!!! (Yeah I should probably register for some champagne flutes, I definitely drank the champagne in the above picture in a wine glass- oops!)

Champagne Cupcakes with Grapefruit Curd

So here is the short and sweet proposal story: Thursday we were in San Francisco planning to drive down to San Jose to visit Andy’s brother via Los Altos, CA which is where he grew up. He had said he wanted to show me some special landmarks along the way that were significant in his childhood, (the house he grew up in, old school etc.) The drive was beautiful and scenic and it was a great morning!

Around 2 PM though, we ate a huge Mexican lunch and I was laden with food coma. Andy begged me to perk up as there were only two more spots he wanted to show me. I was being a brat. I just wanted to stay in the car and nap and had no energy to walk around. But, as Andy was digging around the trunk for his sweater (and my ring apparantley,) I started to feel bad and figured I may as well be a good sport and go for the walk.

Champagne Cupcakes with Grapefruit Curd

And there in the beautiful redwood forest where Andy used to play as a kid, in a secluded spot in the shade of a tree, he sweetly and romantically popped the question (on one knee of course.) He says I had a frozen blank expression for a good 10 seconds before I said “No way really?!!!” and then of course “YES!” Hooray!

Ok- that’s that. I promise to not be super annoying and only post about wedding things the next year Ok I’ll try to not do that. PS- didn’t he do a good job on the ring!? That was all him- I didn’t have any input but I really love it. Especially since he made it from his Mom’s engagement and wedding rings, so sentimental.:)

Oh yeah- and these cupcakes are amazing. Champagne in the cake and frosting and a pink grapefruit curd to add a bit of tartness. They were the perfect thing to enjoy with my sisters as they stopped by when I got home. Enjoy!

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Champagne Cupcakes with Grapefruit Curd….and NEWS!
Yield: makes 16-18 cupakes
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1¾ cups flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup champagne, prosecco or your choice of sparkling wine
  • Grapefruit Curd:
  • 2 teaspoons grated grapefruit rind (about 2 grapefruit)
  • ⅔ cup fresh grapefruit juice
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
  • a drop of pink gel coloring
  • Champagne Frosting:
  • 1 cup plus 1 tbsp. champagne or prosecco
  • 2 sticks of butter softened
  • 2½ cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. 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.
  3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. in a medium sized bowl, whisk together ½ cup champagne and ½ 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.
  4. Fill cupcake papers with ¼ cup level measures of batter. Bake for 17-22 minutes. Set aside.
For the Curd:
  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in the top of a double boiler, stirring well with a whisk. Cook over simmering water until thick (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Strain juice mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Add butter, stirring well with a whisk. Cool completely.
For the Frosting:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. With a small knife carve a cone shaped wedge out of the top of each cupcake. Slice off the very top part to put back over the filling. Spoon a tablespoon of curd into each cupcake, and replace the cake-top.
  4. Frost the cream-filled cupcakes and decorate!
Notes
I like lots of frosting on cupcakes- if you do as well, you may want to make a double batch (like I did.)
Adapted from: Sprinkle Bakes

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  9. Oh my GOD!!! You are seriously the cutest thing in the whole wide world!! I really needed that cuteness today! Congratulations! :)

    Reply

  17. Glad that I was able to hear a few more details about the proposal. Guess we’ve been too busy talking wedding prep. Anyway, these look beautiful.

    xoxo

    Reply

  18. don’t apologize for being giddy! it’s an amazing time… i think we all love telling our engagement stories, even after years have passed. can’t wait to make the cupcakes!

    Reply

  20. I am so happy for you girl-Congrats. This is such a wonderful time in your life and you will have so many more enjoyable moments ahead!
    I have had champagne cupcakes before but you have really amped them up with that curd inside. I have saved the recipe to make for a special occasion.

    Reply

  22. Congrats! I just got married on Saturday, so I know exactly the excitement you’re feeling! You will have so much fun planning!

    I just wish I had had these cupcakes on Friday for our rehearsal dinner!

    Reply

  23. congrats again audra! that is such exciting news :) and the ring is gorgeous!!!! i won’t be upset if all you do is talk about the wedding… i feel like that’s all i could do before mine!

    anyways, your cupcakes are beautiful! i’ve actually made the one from heather’s blog so i know they taste great too! i’ll have to try them with that pretty grapefruit curd next time!

    Reply

  26. Congratulations! That’s just terrific!

    And I definitely won’t mind if you do post loads of wedding-things, if wedding-posts will be even the slightest bit as tempting as these amazing cupcakes!!

    Reply

  28. I came to congratulate you on winning the Best New Blog award from Foodbuzz. But OMG!! Congratulations on your engagement! It’s such a beautiful story and I wish you the best in your new life and marriage :)
    The ring is gorgeous and so is the story behind it. The cupcakes looks delish!

    Reply

  31. Beautiful ring! I love this recipe! Hooray and yay all around!!! (ps: I love wedding planning – feel free to tweet me any questions – my wedding was amazing. Fer realz, yo).

    Reply

  33. Congratulations! The ring is stunning! I’m the “family chef” and my niece is wanting a stand mixer as well. It’s a HUGE surprise, but I’m getting it for her wedding. I’m super excited.

    I am SO going to follow you on pinterest!

    Reply

  37. Congratulations!!! I was so excited when I got engaged, and planning the wedding has been a blast so far! The cupcakes seem like the perfect way to celebrate :)

    Reply

  38. Well Congrats My Dear! Enjoy every moment of this fun time. And what a great cupcake idea… champagne…who’d a thunk it?! Promise to let someone else bake for your wedding so you can really enjoy.

    Reply

  40. I was just making my way around to give you a big congrats on winning best new blog (well deserved) when I saw the bigger news about the engagement! Congratulations again! Wow.. now you’ll be in full wedding mode and wedding cake mode I’m sure. I’m so happy for you and wish you all the best with your new fiance! :) PS… these cupcakes are superb! They look like little wedding cakes and with the champagne… just perfect for the occasion. Hope you popped some extra bubbly to toast all the good news too. ~ Ramona

    Reply

  45. That’s so excitIng! Love the ring and champagne cupcakes — how appropriate! Congrats to you and the fiancé (are you having fun saying that?) and best of luck in your planning! The hardest decision for me was the cake…. Like it was really bad. I was like one of those crazy indecisive “I’ve tried on over 100 dresses” girls from say yes to the dress, except with cakes. Pinteresting Cakes. Milllions of cakes. Finally I found the one, though! :)

    Reply

  46. OMG – Beauuuutiful ring! Nicely done Mr. Andy. It’s OK to be annoying and talk about your wedding forever on the blog. It’s an exciting time, congrats!

    Reply

  53. Forget about the engagement, those champagne cupcakes are to die for!!!! Just kidding…So happy and excited for you :-)

    As for the ring… Kudos to him! Combining family pieces into a ring for his bride-to-be is an amazing tribute to you and your future together.

    Congrats again..

    Reply

  54. Just found your blog thru foodbuzz and I love it. Like you, I live in nyc, started my blog early this year and also just got engaged! In fact, I also similarly started a pinterest wedding page about 4 months or so before my fiance popped the question, hehe. A girl’s gotta plan, right? Anyway, I found all these coincidences very odd and will be sure to follow your blog now :)

    Reply

  56. Found you through foodbuzz, your blog is great. I love grapefruit and these look delicious! Thinking that this curd would also be delicious in a shortbread tart crust!

    Reply

  58. These are sooo lovely! But my grapefruit curd ended up more of an egg yolk color, and I had to stick it in the microwave to get it to thicken, but did you add any food coloring to yours?

    Reply

  61. These look amazing! I just found your blog and love it. I also have a food blog (aubongouter.com) and also got engaged recently and I had to comment because my ring looks exactly like yours! Congrats :)

    Reply

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