Champagne Cupcakes Recipe - cake flour

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-well muffin tins with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to ensure the dry ingredients are well combined.
• Set aside.
• Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Add 1 3/4 cups of sugar mix eggs and the vanilla extract and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the oil in a slow, steady stream until its incorporated into the egg mixture.
• Add a third of the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and stir until just barely blended.
• Add half the Champagne and stir until just barely blended.
• Repeat.
• At this point, the batter should be thin.
• Turn the motor off and stir in the last third of the flour mixture by hand, with a rubber spatula, to ensure you dont overmix the batter (this would result in tough cupcakes).
• Divide the batter evenly between the 24 paper-lined muffin wells.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Rotate the muffin tins in the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
• Transfer the muffin tins to wire racks for the cupcakes to cool.
• Place a fine sieve over a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Heat the half and half in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling.
• Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt until combined.
• Add the Champagne and whisk to combine, followed by the cornstarch.
• Mix a third of the heated half and half into the egg yolk mixture while whisking.
• Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula, until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Immediately strain the mixture through the sieve and into the mixing bowl.
• Add the butter and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
• Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to avoid a skin from forming and allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (can be made up to 2 days ahead).
• To make the whipped cream frosting, add the chilled cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Begin to whip at medium speed.
• When the whisk begins to leave tracks in the cream, add the sugar.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the cream holds a medium-firm peak.
• Add 1/2 cup of the chilled filling and whip into the cream for a few seconds more.
• Scrape the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip.
• (Alternately, add the filling to a zipper-top bag and snip off the corner, through which you can pipe the filling.)
• Using a small spoon or melon baller inserted in the top, remove the center of each cupcake (the scooped insides make great snacks while decorating!).
• Pipe each center core with the custard filling.
• Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• Pipe whipped cream on the top of each cupcake and sprinkle with the gold dust.