Pomegranate Poinsettia Cupcakes

Photos by Natalie Whearley

Champagne Cupcakes filled with Pomegranate Curd and Grand Marnier Whipped Frosting
Recipe adapted from Life, Love & Sugar, Baking a Moment, and Brown Eyed Baker

Last week, The Tipsy Muffin celebrated it's first anniversary!  I can't believe how quickly the past year has flown by.  I have had such an amazing time turning cocktails into cupcakes and making all kinds of desserts a little tipsy.  And I definitely have to say thank you to all of my family and friends.  They have been constant supporters (and taste testers) of all my baking endeavors.  Even when things didn't turn out quite as expected.  I especially have to thank my sister, Natalie, for her photography and her amazing design aesthetics.  This blog would not nearly look as good if it wasn't for her.  And of course thank you to everyone who reads this blog and has used these recipes to make their own desserts!

And to mark my first  year blogging, I wanted to come up with something celebratory, fun, and good for the holidays.  It of course had to be a cupcake, since that is the dessert that started this whole adventure.  Nothing says celebration more than champagne, so after researching several different champagne cocktails, I found the pomegranate poinsettia.  The cocktail is champagne, pomegranate juice, and a little bit of citrus liqueur.  Creating a cupcake from this cocktail seemed pretty straightforward.  I decided to make a champagne flavored cupcake, fill it with a pomegranate curd, and top it off with one of my favorite frostings with just a splash of Grand Marnier.  The cupcake and frosting are sweet and the tartness of the pomegrante curd creates the perfect balance.  This dessert will be perfect to share with your friends and family over the upcoming holidays.  

There are some more exciting things in store for the Tipsy Muffin over the next few weeks.  I will be excited to keep you all posted on what's coming up next for me and my baking adventures!  

Cheers to many more blog posts and tipsy treats!  

[ INGREDIENTS ]
makes approximately 24 cupcakes

Pomegranate Curd
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 large cage-free egg yolks
A pinch of salt
2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Champagne Cupcakes
3 ⅓  cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 
6 large cage-free whites
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 ¾ cups sparkling wine or champagne (I used Cupcake's Prosecco) 

Grand Marnier Whipped Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 
2 cups heavy whipping cream


[ DIRECTIONS ]

Pomegranate Curd

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, water, egg yolks, and salt,
2. In a small pot over medium-low heat, bring the pomegranate juice to just a simmer.
3. Whisking constantly, pour about a quarter cup of the hot pomegranate juice into the cornstarch mixture.  Add a little more hot pomegranate juice, still whisking constantly, until mixture is warm to the touch.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the pot with remaining hot pomegranate juice whisking constantly.
5. Continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens.
6. Stir in the cold butter.
7. Strain using a fine mesh strainer and leave to cool.

Champagne Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners.
3. In a small pot, simmer 1 cup of the sparkling wine or champagne over low heart.  Cook until is reduced down to about 1/2 cup.  Let cool.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy.
6. Slowly add the egg whites to the butter mixture, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Add the vanilla to the mixture, and mix to combine.
8. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the butter/egg mixture and mix to combine.
9. Add the sour cream to the mix and mix to combine.
10. Add the remaining dry ingredients.  Mix to combine.
11. Add the reduced sparkling wine or champagne along with another 3/4 cup regular sparkling wine or champagne and mix until just smooth.  Do not over mix.
12. Divide the batter between muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full.
13. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
14. Cool completely.

Grand Marnier Whipped Frosting

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and grand marnier together on medium speed until smooth.  
2. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream and increase the speed to high.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and whip until stiff peaks form,

Put it all together

1. After the cupcakes have cooled, use a cupcake corer or the back of a pastry tip to remove the center of each cupcake.
2. Using a pastry bag, fill each hole with the pomegranate curd.
3. Using a pastry bag, pipe on the Grand Marnier whipped frosting.
4. Top with pearl white or gold sprinkles.
5. Cheers!