It’s 2013 – Happy New Year!
This year I’m forgoing the cookie cutter resolutions –
exercise more, eat healthier, yada yada. They just never stick. Instead, I need
a creative, specific resolution that focuses on something I really enjoy and
can further explore. I love to bake, and I love happy hour, so this year my
resolution is to create at least 12 original
recipes for spiked sweets and feature them on this blog, along with many more
reproductions of existing recipes I find.
That said, I came up with a treat worthy of New Year’s Day
brunch – Grand Mimosa Angel Food Cupcakes!
The Grand Mimosa is a standard mimosa (Champagne &
orange juice) with a splash of Grand Marnier. This small addition makes a big
difference in my opinion – it turns the drink from standard brunch fare into
something special, thus making it the perfect hair-of-the-dog cocktail on New Year's Day.
Grand Mimosa Cupcakes are Champagne-based angel food cupcakes
topped with Grand Marnier-spiked orange icing. They are ridiculously easy to
make, thanks to the use of boxed cake mix. I typically like to bake things from
scratch, but sometimes easy wins. And if you’re baking on New Year’s Eve, you
don’t want to sacrifice precious getting-ready time for the night’s
festivities. Or if you’re baking hungover on New Year’s Day, simplicity is much
appreciated. Thus, cake mix is our friend.
The recipe only takes 5 ingredients, most of them you likely
have in your pantry/liquor cabinet around the holidays. I made cupcakes, but
you could certainly make one whole cake using a 10 inch tube pan.
I took these to a little get together last night and everyone loved them. After weeks of gluttonous eating and drinking in December, light and airy angel food cake is the perfect, guilt-free treat to kick off the new year.
Grand Mimosa Angel Food Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
Ingredients for Cake:
1 box Angel Food Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 ¼ cups brut Champagne (something you would drink), gently
stirred to release some bubbles
1 tsp orange zest
Ingredients for Icing:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 TBSP fresh squeezed orange juice
½ TBSP of Grand Marnier
1 tsp orange zest
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 cupcake pans
with paper liners; set aside.
Zest 1 orange until you have 2 teaspoons of zest. Set aside
in a small bowl. Cut the orange and squeeze at least 1 tablespoon worth of
juice into a bowl or cup; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, Champagne, and 1 teaspoon of
orange zest until well mixed. Let sit for 5 minutes. Scoop batter into lined baking
cups, filling each about three-quarters full. If there is excess batter, save
to bake later or discard. Bake for 15 minutes or until cupcakes are lightly
browned and bounce back when lightly touched. Careful not to overbake!
While cupcakes are baking, combine sifted confectioner’s
sugar, Grand Marnier, 1 tablespoon of the orange juice and the remaining orange
zest in a small bowl, mixing until smooth. Icing should not be thick – it should
be easy to pour. If necessary, add a few more drops of juice to make it easier
to pour.
When cupcakes are done, place on top of the stove and let
cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and using a toothpick, poke
3-4 holes in each cupcake. Holes should be about 1 inch deep. Spoon 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons
of icing on each cupcake and allow cupcakes to cool completely.
Enjoy!
