Someone told me that 2013 is an empty book of 365 pages.  This is my first page and I hope I can fill it up accordingly.  It's going to be a great new year of new and exciting things.  I guess that is what I was trying to do this morning when I decided to try these cupcakes.  I had in my head I wanted something with champagne....and for me orange and champagne just go together naturally.  I was a little nervous in trying this...I had never heard of a champagne cupcake but I got the idea and some inspirational tidbits and gave it a shot.  And what did I end up with?  A sweet little bite of a Sunday morning mimosa.  A total yum!  

CHAMPAGNE AND ORANGE CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

 2 3/4 cups cake flour
 3 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 2/3 cup unsalted butter                                         
 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
 3/4 cup champagne
 zest of two oranges
 juice of one orange
 2 oz. chopped white chocolate
 6 egg whites

CHAMPAGNE ORANGE BUTTERCREAM INGREDIENTS:

 1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
 4 tablespoons champagne
 zest of one orange
 juice of 1/2 orange

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pans with liners. (I used 2 mini cupcake pans so this made about 48-60 mini cupcakes)

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.  On low speed, add one third at a time of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar, alternating with the champagne.  Add zest and juice of oranges and mix until just combined.  Mix white chopped chocolate with a bit of flour and add to mixture.

In another large, clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.  Fill the cup liners about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes, turning after 8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:

Beat the butter until fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar, champagne, zest and juice of orange and mix the ingredients until they are all incorporated and the frosting is smooth and creamy.