Cosmopolitan Cupcakes

I am a huge huge huge Sex and The City fan! I have seen every episode countless times and just adore everything about the show. Needless to say I had to do something special for the new movie premier. I wanted to host an intimate cocktail party with my closest girlfriends. Four laides dressed up drinking Cosmos and enjoying cupcakes like the movie! :) Anyway, I came across these cosmopolitan cupcakes at intotheoven.com and just knew they would be perfect. These are definitely different and not for everybody. I personally enjoyed them, especially the frosting. I garnished mine with lime wedges and cocktail stirrirs :) I also added lime green food coloring to the frosting because it felt right...

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes with Lime-Cointreau Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate or cranberry punch concentrate, thawed
zest of 1 lime
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2 drops red food colouring (optional, if you would like a stronger reddish tint in the cake)

Directions:

Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line muffin pans with cupcake papers.

With a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until well combined.

Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Combine buttermilk, thawed concentrate, zest, and cranberries in a separate bowl.
Add in 1 cup each of the dry and wet mixtures alternately, beating on low until the whole mixture is well combined.

Fill cups with batter two-thirds full. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes
spring back in the middle when touched lightly. Cool for 10 minutes in pan.

For glaze:

1/4 cup thawed cranberry juice concentrate
1/4 cup vodka

 Brush with cranberry/vodka glaze when cupcakes are still slightly warm.

When cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with lime-cointreau buttercream:

Lime-Cointreau Buttercream

1/2 c butter
4 c confectioner?s sugar
3 T Cointreau
juice from 1 large lime

Mix all ingredients on high speed until fluffy. Double this recipe if you are doing a lot of piping or have more than 2 dozen cupcakes.

Garnish with: (optional)
Dusting of Lime zest
Dried cranberries




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