Hibiscus Flower Cupcakes with a Prosecco Buttercream
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Beautiful light airy crumb with a hint of hibiscus, paired with a lovely prosecco buttercream with a touch of tartness and cloud like texture. Spring in a bite!
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • For the Cupcakes:
  • 1⅔ cups cake flower
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 4 tablespoon dried hibiscus flower (steeped in milk)
  • ½ cup milk whole
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter – room temp
  • ¼ cup mascarpone – room temp
  • 1 vanilla bean scraped (save the bean to steep with prosecco)
  • For the Buttercream:
  • ½ cup Prosecco (reduced to ¼ cup)
  • 2 sticks salted butter - room temp
  • 4 cups confectioner sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, bean reserved
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a small sauce pan heat the milk until scaled. Turn off the heat and add the hibiscus leaves. Allow to steep for 20 minutes.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk to combine, then set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  5. Add the mascarpone and beat until combined.
  6. Beat the egg whites until slightly foamy. Add to the butter sugar mixture in three pours. Beat after each addition until incorporated.
  7. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup to collect the leaves. Milk will be slightly curdled, that's ok. Add the vanilla extract and seeds from vanilla bean.
  8. Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the wet mixture and combine. Add another third of the dry and mix. Then add the rest of the wet mixture and combine. Last, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
  9. Using an ice-cream scoop or about ⅓ cup, fill each cupcake liner ⅔rds full. Gently even out tops with offset spatula or knife.
  10. Bake on middle rack of the oven for 16 to 18 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  11. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack. Then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
  12. For the Buttercream:
  13. In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, reduce the prosecco by half. Place reserved vanilla bean in pot to steep. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  14. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  15. With mixer running on slow, add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, then turn speed up to fully incorporate. About halfway through add the vanilla extract, prosecco, cream and beat to combine.
  16. Continue adding in the sugar one cup at a time. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  17. Add more cream one tablespoon at a time if you desire a creamier texture.
  18. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
  19. Store covered at room temp for up to 3 days or covered in the fridge for up to 5.
  20. Enjoy!
Recipe by Social Buttercream at http://socialbuttercream.com/2018/02/24/hibiscus-flower-cupcakes-with-a-prosecco-buttercream-spring-fever/