Prosecco and Chambord Party Cupcakes

The best bit about these Cupcakes is that I got to finish the Prosecco (Yes I could have bought a small bottle - but who would do that!). Prosecco with Chambord is one of my favourite combinations, (who doesn't love raspberry bubbles) so when I was asked to create some special 60th Birthday Cupcakes, I knew this would be the perfect flavour. I had a bit of a battle of the Heat Vs Buttercream, and would advise if your kitchen is particularly hot to have some extra icing sugar handy to stiffen your buttercream if required (I love our new heat wave English summer but I don't love to bake in it). 
I decide to decorate these cupcakes in three ways, with the use of mini fondant Prosecco bottles (make these in advance!), raspberries with edible glitter and raspberries with Wilton Shot Tops filled with leftover Prosecco! 

I cored the centre of 12 of the cupcakes and filled with Chambord infused raspberry jam; this is optional and can be left out if you prefer (or if you like the sound of extra Chambord, ensure you have 8 tbsp of jam and an extra 2 tbsp of Chambord to make enough filling for all 24 cupcakes!). 

Ingredients (24 Cupcakes)
327g Plain Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Bicarb
169g Cake Butter 
300g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
186ml Sour Cream
186ml + 2 Tbsp Prosecco (my favourite bit!)
4 Tbsp Raspberry Jam
5 Tbsp Chambord
400g Unsalted Butter
800g Icing Sugar

How-To

1. Using your stand mixer, beat your butter and eggs until smooth and light in colour. 
2. Gradually add your eggs (if the mixture starts to split add 1 tbsp of flour). 
3. Sift together your flour, baking powder and bicarb. 
4. Whisk your vanilla extract, sour cream and 186ml prosecco. 
5. Alternate adding your drying and wet ingredients to your butter, sugar and eggs - finishing with dry ingredients. Beat until fully incorporated. 
6. Using your ice cream scoop, divide your cake mix in to your cupcake cases (do not overfill! If you have too much cake mixture, make extra cupcakes!)
7. Bake your cupcakes for 25 minutes at 160 degrees celsius fan oven. As this recipe produces quite a wet mixture, make sure to test your cakes are ready using a cake skewer before removing from the oven. 
8. Meanwhile, combine 4tbsp of raspberry jam with 2 tbsp of Chambord in a saucepan. Heat gently until the jam has melted and stir, leave to bubble for a few minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool. 
9. Whilst your cupcakes are cooling, make your buttercream. Beat your butter until smooth, add half of your sifted icing sugar and beat until combined. Repeat until you have included all of your icing sugar (Adding the icing sugar in small portions reduces the icing sugar cloud that will smother your kitchen!). Add 2 tbsp of Prosecco and 3 tbsp of Chambord and mix until combined. If your buttercream is very soft, add additional icing sugar and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
10. Once your cupcakes have cooled, core the centre (either using an apple corer or a plastic cupcake corer) and fill with your Chambord infused jam. Cover the hole with some of your removed cupcake. 
11. Remove your buttercream from the fridge (re-whip if it is now too stiff) and pipe on to your cupcakes using your chosen nozzle. Add decorations as desired! 

Remember food wastage is bad, you must finish the remainder of the Prosecco!