• If you plan on topping your cupcakes with champagne-soaked strawberries, prepare those first by placing chopped strawberries in a bowl and pouring champagne over top, ensuring all berries are submerged.
  1 lbs fresh strawberries, 1 cup champagne
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Make the Cupcakes:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Line two standard cupcake tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, champagne, vanilla, and food coloring until well combined. Set aside.
  6 egg whites, 1 cup champagne, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 6 drops no-taste red gel food coloring
• Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or a hand mixer, mix on low speed the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined, about 30 seconds.
  2 ¼ cups cake flour, 1 ¾ cups  granulated sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon  kosher salt
• With mixer running, add butter, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated and mixture resembles moist crumbs.
  12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Add all but ½ cup of the egg white mixture and beat until just combined.
• Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Add remaining ½ cup egg white mixture in a slow stream.
• Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and beat batter on medium-high speed until well combined, about 15 seconds.
• Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way up.
• Bake until toothpick inserted in center cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking.
• Let cupcakes cool in tins on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from tins and let cool completely on wire rack, about 2 hours.

Make the Frosting:

• In the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and that you keep your burner set on low), melt the white chocolate, stirring every minute or so.
  12 ounces white chocolate baking bars
• Once fully melted, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool, about 5 minutes.
• Dip your finger in to test the temperature, once it’s cool enough to touch, you can use it in the next step. If it’s too hot, it will melt the butter in your buttercream which is not what you want.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
  1 cup unsalted butter
• Sift in the powdered sugar and salt and add the vanilla.
  1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Beat until well blended. Beat in slightly cooled white chocolate with the mixer speed on low, then beat at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
• Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
• With a slotted spoon, remove a few pieces of strawberries from champagne bath and place on top of each cupcake.
• Add sprinkles and serve.
  sprinkles