Weekend Dessert - Strawberry Champagne Cake and Strawberry Champagne Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Strawberry Champagne Cake and Strawberry Champagne Buttercream Frosting Recipe

By Christan Monin

For Easter I wanted to make a spectacular treat for my guests, and after careful contemplation I decided to make a Strawberry Champagne cake. I thought this was perfect for two reasons. First, it has been a long winter full of no fresh berries. The stores are replenishing their shelves with lush, ripe berries, and I want in! Secondly, I thought the strawberries mixed with champagne would be the perfect celebratory cake to eat when I watched Prince William and Princess Kate marry. Yes, I woke up at 4 am to watch the festivities, and yes, I ate strawberry champagne cake at 8 am! I had planned on having a glass of gorgeous pink strawberry flavored champagne along with my slice of cake, but, alas, I couldn't bring myself to do it so early in the day.

Anyway, I searched online and found a recipe that looked pretty good. And then I made it spectacular by adding my own special touches. I also have a favorite buttercream frosting recipe that I always use, and I used it for this cake, and added extra delicious ingredients. There is much debate when it comes to changing a recipe -- some are for it, and some are against it. I think it is essential to keep your liquid to dry ingredients about the same as it calls for in the recipe. But when it comes to adding fresh fruit, chocolate, nuts, I say knock yourself out! Eyeball it, make sure it looks (smells) right, and go to town. These small touches really make a recipe spectacular.

To make the cake even more special I decided to add fresh strawberries and ganache to the center instead of just the strawberry buttercream frosting. This is a good idea in theory, however, I do not recommend using fresh fruit in a cake. I ended up having little streams pouring out of my cake, and I had a very sticky puddle on my cake platter. The sugar in the frosting brings out the juices in the fresh fruit. If you are intent on using fresh berries (as am I) I would recommend making a strawberry (or any other fruit or berry) sauce. This way you will still have the fresh ingredients without the sticky mess.

The cake was a hit! My family loved it, and my uncle even said that it would have to be his next birthday cake (what a compliment!). I think of all the desserts I have made, this is a fan favorite.

Strawberry Champagne cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cup sugar

2 egg

3 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup champagne

½ cup pureed strawberries

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries

4 egg whites

Cream butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add the egg and mix until completely incorporated.

In a separate bowl combine and sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a dish combine the puree and champagne. Alternate adding the flour and strawberry mixtures to the butter mixture. Start and end with flour for a fluffy cake. Add the vanilla. Add the strawberries mixing until just incorporated. Fold in half the egg whites, then fold in the remainder.

I like to put the batter into a piping bag to fill the cupcake tins. Batter should reach just over ¾ of the tin.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

1 package (2 pounds) powdered sugar

heaping 1/3 cup pureed strawberries

1 tsp vanilla

chocolate shavings for garnish

Cream the butter until light and fluffy. With continuous mixing, add a bit of the powdered sugar (add some of the strawberry puree if it gets too thick). Keep adding the sugar in small increments until completely blended with the butter. Add the remainder of the strawberry puree and the vanilla. If the frosting is still thick, add some champagne! Add chocolate shavings on top of the frosted cupcake for a decadent treat!

Happy baking!

For a modified cupcake variation of this recipe see my website: http://bodhibaker.blogspot.com/2011/04/strawberry-champagne-cupcakes.html

See my website for other recipes: http://www.squidoo.com/bodhi-baker

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christan_Monin


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Cupcakes - The Newest Sweet Treat Trend

Cupcakes - The Newest Sweet Treat Trend

By Denny Phillips

Have you been to an event recently and been surprised that instead of a regular cake, you were treated to an elaborate cupcake display? Cupcakes seem to be all the rage nowadays. Cupcakes seem to be the trendy thing to serve at any gathering, from baby showers to weddings, or birthday galas to Super Bowl parties. Cupcakes are easy to eat, full of delicious flavor and exciting eye-catching delights. It seems everyone loves those sweet little concoctions. But, are they really just cute little miniature cakes, or are they a wonderfully flavorful dessert deserving their own title?

The origins of cupcakes are controversial. Some believe that cupcakes were invented by people baking cakes in little teacups, so that the little cakes would not take so long to bake and would cool faster. Others believe that cupcakes were named by the way the ingredients were measured (1 cup of flour, 2 cups of sugar, etc.) Whatever the origin, the cupcake has come down through history as a delightful treat that everyone can enjoy.

Cupcakes are making a surprising reappearance in today's society and are becoming extremely popular and trendy. They are sweet little treats that are easy to make, satisfy everyone's sweet tooth and can be made in various eye-catching ways.

Cupcakes can be served as a dessert for an everyday supper, at birthday or special occasion parties, or today can even replace the traditional wedding cake. They are great at baby showers, as Halloween treat give-aways, for Christmas buffet tables, or as a sure money-maker at bake sales and church bazaars. Cupcakes can even be served at masculine events, or at a sports party-like the Superbowl! And, what can be sweeter than a cupcake as an individual Valentine's Day love offering?

The variety of flavors you can use to create a cupcake are varied and many. You can have delicate white cake cupcakes, velvety chocolate cupcakes, light lemony cupcakes, marble-cake cupcakes or many other combinations of flavors. Cupcakes can even have good-for-you ingredients like applesauce, shredded carrots or zucchini in them to help them stay moist.

Cupcakes are generally frosted as are most cakes, with vanilla, chocolate, orange-flavored, or any other flavor that compliments the small cake underneath. Cupcakes can also sport various toppings, like rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, coconut, miniature chocolate chips, candies, pieces of gumdrops or even can be glazed. You can decorate the tops with faces, create tiny animals or flowers, make them into butterflies or simply place a nut in the centre.

Cupcakes can be used on stands to create a unique display. In today's world it is not uncommon to see a cupcake display in lieu of a wedding cake. Cupcakes can take a significant role on a dessert table placed on a tiered cake plate at Christmastime. If you line cupcakes up, circling round on a covered board, you can create a 'caterpillar' effect for a child's birthday party. There are many ways cupcakes can be used for special occasions.

You can even have filled cupcakes. Doesn't a chocolate cupcake filled with sweet vanilla crème sound fantastic? How about a cupcake with a chocolate 'kiss' treat or a caramel in the centre?

Cupcakes are easy to eat. They are small enough to eat with your hands, without needing the use of a fork or a spoon. Often they come in their own little ridged paper cup, which helps make them beautiful as well as tasty. The paper cups are often white, but can come in any color-and even sometimes in gold or silver papers for those extra special occasions.

Why not try your hand at making these sweet little cakes tonight? Join the trend and become a cupcake fanatic!

Article by Dee Phillips, author of the newest cupcake recipe book 25 Yummy Cupcake Recipes now available on Kindle.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denny_Phillips http://EzineArticles.com/?Cupcakes---The-Newest-Sweet-Treat-Trend&id=6137504

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Made this weekend delicious cupcakes, and got a new coat from Zara €130