Who here has Spring Fever?? Well I do! I am just coming off a trip to Mexico where it was 80 and sunny every day, my skin wasn’t cracked and dried, but smooth and soft and my hand wasn’t without a drink! Even when we flew back into Chicago it was 60 degrees! Albeit, it’s a bit colder now, but we essentially have made it through winter! We are in the last weekend of February and March is nothing. We may get a few cold days here and there, possibly a little snow but nothing major! This puts me in the mood for spring flavors and pretty flowers. So, this weekend I am sharing my dried Hibiscus Flower Cupcakes with a Prosecco Buttercream! Perfect for any spring occasion, showers, brunch or just because you need to get into that Spring frame of mind! Bonus, they are also not so bad to look at!
I complain about the cold and the weather often during the winter months. Wondering why I live in Chicago and I should just head somewhere warm all year round. Then, when that weather starts to break, and you see life beginning again all around you, you really do appreciate the seasons. I mean what is life without anticipation! Spring is an awakening of the things that slept during the frosty winter months. When you notice those first buds pop up from the trees, the days getting longer, the ice melting. Something pretty magical about it all. I did, many moons ago, live in sunny California for a short time. I can remember talking on the phone with my mom and her asking me how the weather was. I remember saying with disdain, it’s sunny everyday here, it’s the same every day! Now, to California’s defense, I was homesick at the time and tired of the trendy Hollywood types. But, I must say I really do love the seasons. That being said, I could go to Cali Jan through March, that way I just get out of the cold for the worst of it! Ahh, someday I will be a snowbird.
Back to these beautiful Springy cupcakes. I love dried hibiscus flowers, I think they are beautiful and they have a slightly tart taste when dried like cranberries. I thought why not take the dried leaves, steep them in milk and infuse my cupcakes with the subtle hibiscus flower flavor. You can buy the dried leaves in the bulk section at Whole Foods, or on Amazon. Also, when they bake, they actually turn the cupcakes into this pretty light blue color! For the buttercream, I wanted something light as well and with the addition of the prosecco, it adds just a hint of tartness and the bubbles help to create an airy texture. Plus, prosecco elicits those spring/summer events sitting outside for brunch or a spring party! These are perfect for any occasion, but really make a spring statement at your next gathering!
Give these lovelies a try and just remember, we are in the home stretch! Life will be in full bloom before we know it!
Enjoy!
Diane
- 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
- 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.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk to combine, then set aside.
- 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.
- Add the mascarpone and beat until combined.
- Beat the egg whites until slightly foamy. Add to the butter sugar mixture in three pours. Beat after each addition until incorporated.
- 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.
- 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.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or about ⅓ cup, fill each cupcake liner ⅔rds full. Gently even out tops with offset spatula or knife.
- Bake on middle rack of the oven for 16 to 18 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack. Then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
- For the Buttercream:
- 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.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- 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.
- Continue adding in the sugar one cup at a time. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Add more cream one tablespoon at a time if you desire a creamier texture.
- Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
- Store covered at room temp for up to 3 days or covered in the fridge for up to 5.
- Enjoy!
These are gorgeous–so elegant! You inspire me to think out of the box. Thanks!
Thanks! I love hearing that!