Lemon Champagne Celebration Cupcakes

From Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1

  box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

1/2

cup water

1/2

cup dry champagne

1/2

cup vegetable oil

3

  eggs

2

  teaspoons grated lemon peel 

Filling

1/4

cup lemon curd (from 10-oz jar)

1

  tablespoon sour cream 

Icing

2

  cups powdered sugar

2 

tablespoons butter, melted 

3 

tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, water, champagne, oil and eggs. Stir 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel into batter. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 17 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not remove cake from pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Place pan of cake in freezer. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
4. In small bowl, mix lemon curd and sour cream until well blended. Set aside.
5. To assemble cupcakes, remove cake from freezer; using foil, lift cake from pan. Using 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut 24 rounds from cake. Place 12 rounds top side down. Spread each with about 1 teaspoon lemon curd filling. Top with remaining cake rounds, top side up.
6. In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon about 1 tablespoon icing over each cake, allowing icing to run down sides of cake.
7. To serve, place each cake in decorative cupcake liner, and garnish with lemon peel curls, if desired.

Makes 12 servings

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces good-quality chocolate (12 ounces semi-sweet, 4 ounces milk chocolate)
• 2 cups whipping cream
• ½ tsp. instant espresso powder

Instructions:

Put chocolate in a bowl that can be heated.
Put the whipping cream in a pot and heat to a low boil. Add the instant espresso powder and stir. Remove from the heat and pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then whisk it together.
Put it in the freezer for a half-hour or in the fridge for 3 hours so it will become the right consistency to spread.

From Julia Louis-Dreyfus