Peach Mimosa Cupcakes With Champagne Meringue Recipes

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 cups of two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of stand mixer, cream the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
• Reduce the mixer speed to medium low. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture and finally the champagne. Mix until just combined. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter.
• Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream frosting: Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk as desired.
• Put 1/2 cup of the frosting in a one small bowl and another 1/2 cup in a second small bowl. Tint the first bowl a light shade of green and the second bowl a darker shade of green. Add 1/4 cup of plain frosting to a third small bowl and tint it pink. Add 1/4 cup of plain frosting to a fourth small bowl and leave it plain. Add enough of the green food coloring to the remaining plain frosting in the mixer bowl to tint it dark green (darker than the other 2 bowls of green frosting).
• For decorating: Frost the top of 12 of the cupcakes with an even layer of the darkest green frosting. Place the graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl and dip the edges of the cupcake in the crumbs, rotating to coat the edges.
• Make aloe plants by forming 12 teardrop-shaped pieces of green gum paste. Using scissors, snip the pointed end of each teardrop halfway to the bottom in one direction, then across in the opposite direction. Spread the tips gently and place one aloe plant onto each of the frosted cupcakes.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip (no. 199) with one of the lighter shades of green frosting. Fit a second pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip (no. 846) with the other lighter green frosting. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip (no. 15) with the pink frosting. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (no. 2) with the white frosting.
• Pipe cacti onto the cupcakes using the 2 shades of green frosting. Pipe cactus flowers with the pink frosting and finish by piping small white dots on the cacti for the needles.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar together, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, beating until smooth.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in half of the flour mixture until just combined. Add the sour cream, mixing to combine, and then the rest of the flour. Beat until well combined, taking care not to overmix. Stir in the chopped apples.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost halfway full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely. Transfer the cooled cupcakes to a baking sheet.
• Preheat broiler on low.
• Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, lemon juice and zest, cream of tartar and salt in a heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and beat, using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak, about 7 minutes.
• Using a spoon, offset spatula or piping bag, dollop, spread or pipe the meringue on top of each cupcake. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks and valleys in the frosting as desired.
• Working in batches, place the cupcakes under the broiler and cook until the meringue is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Let cool.

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.
• In a very large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the milk, shortening, Champagne and vanilla. Beat on low to medium speed for about 30 seconds, or until just combined. Scraping the bowl constantly, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes.
• Fill the cupcake liners half full with batter and bake until the center springs back when touched, about 12 minutes. Cool before frosting.
• For the buttercream: Put the egg whites in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Put 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Bring to a soft ball stage (240 degrees F), 4 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to whip until medium peaks form.
• When the sugar water reaches 240 degrees F, raise the speed to high and gradually add in the sugar water to the egg whites in a thin stream to avoid cooking the egg whites. Leave the mixer on high for 2 minutes, and then reduce the speed to medium until the mixture has cooled to room temperature, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Once cooled, add the butter in increments, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in the vanilla and whip.
• Pipe the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes.

Steps:

• In 1 1/2-quart pitcher, mix orange juice and peach nectar.
• Pour champagne into glasses until half full. Fill glasses with juice mixture.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full).
• Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• In large bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon into decorating bag with large star tip (#5). Pipe onto cupcakes; sprinkle with glitter and orange peel. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.