Begin by making a champagne reduction Pour 1 1/2 cups champagne into sauce pan Bring to a boil then reduce heat and allow champagne to reduce for 10 to 15 minutes Remove from heat when 1/2 Cup champagne reduction is left Cool to room temperature before adding to batter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F In a mixing bowl combine 1 ½ Cups cake flour 1 ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt

In a stand mixer combine ½ Cup unsalted butter (melted) 1 Cup granulated sugar 2 eggs (room temperature) 2 tsps. vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons champagne reduction sauce Mix in half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients

Then, mix in ⅓ Cup whole milk and the rest of the flour mixture until fully combined Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, fill cupcake liners half full with batter

Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean Remove from pan and cool on wire rack Allow the cupcakes to cook fully before frosting them

To make the frosting, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat  1 Cup unsalted butter (softened not melted) Mix for 5 minutes until pale and whipped then add 3 Cups powdered sugar ¼ tsp. edible gold luster dust ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Beat until the buttercream is smooth and creamy, then pour in 3 Tablespoons of the champagne reduction 1 Tablespoon at a time, until fully combined Beat the buttercream on high speed for 3-4 minutes Frost the cupcakes as desired, we use a Wilton 2D tip

Decorate to fit your event theme and enjoy! Click the link for full recipe and tutorial