Ideal for any celebration, sparkling and rich champagne cupcakes don't just have the perfect crumb, but the champagne frosting is lightly whipped, giving them an impeccable topping.
Serve them on New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, at bridal showers, on a special anniversary, or to celebrate purchasing a new home!
Table of Contents
- Boozy Cupcakes
- What do Champagne Cupcakes taste like?
- Ingredients
- Best Champagne for Cupcakes
- How to Make Champagne Cupcakes
- How to Make Champagne Frosting
- Recipe Variation - Pink Champagne Cupcakes
- How to Add More Champagne Flavor to Cupcakes
- How to Decorate Champagne Cupcakes
- How to Store and Freeze
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Dessert Recipes
Boozy Cupcakes
There is literally champagne in every part of the cupcakes. The delightfully sweet cupcakes are made with champagne reduction and the rich champagne buttercream frosting is infused with this bubbly drink too. If you love the flavor of champagne, then you'll want to make these for every party and holiday.
Adding alcohol to desserts is a really simple way to elevate the festivities, and there are so many other ways to do it. Make some Kahlua Cheesecake, Stroopwafel Chocolate Fudge, and Tequila Lime Cupcakes for your next party.
What do Champagne Cupcakes taste like?
Champagne has a naturally sweet aroma and taste. Champagne usually has a very fruity flavor, with hints of peach, almond, and cream. Since the bottom notes are creamy, it's the perfect alcohol to use in cupcakes!
These cupcakes are buttery and sweet, with smooth vanilla flavors that are enhanced by the bright champagne notes.
Ingredients
For the Champagne Cupcakes:
- Champagne
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- White Granulated Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- Milk
For the Champaign Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Champagne Reduction
Best Champagne for Cupcakes
Do you wonder what is the best Champagne for cupcakes? Well, here are some pointers:
- Since the cupcakes have enough sugar, it is best to use dry Champagne instead of a sweet one. Look for "Brut" or "Extra Dry".
- Save your expensive Champagne for drinking. Use a good quality inexpensive Champagne. Chandon, Piper-Heidsieck, and Nicolas Feuillatte are great choices.
- You can use any kind of sparkling wine like Cava or Prosecco.
How to Make Champagne Cupcakes
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
- Place sugar, butter and oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until just incorporated.
- Stir in champagne reduction and milk.
- Stir in dry ingredients until just mixed. DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Pour cupcake batter into paper lined cupcake pan, dividing evenly. They should be about ¾ full. Bake 14-16 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and allow to cool completely prior to frosting.
How to Make Champagne Frosting
- Place butter in small mixing bowl.
- Cream for 2 minutes until nice and creamy.
- On a low speed, add powdered sugar to butter, mixing well.
- Add salt and champagne reduction and whip until creamy.
Pipe the champagne buttercream onto cupcakes then sprinkle with gold sanding sugar and sprinkles appropriate to the occasion. I love these for Valentine's Day, bridal showers, and New Year's Eve celebrations.
Recipe Variation - Pink Champagne Cupcakes
Do you want to know how to make pink Champagne cupcakes? It's easy to do!
- Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring to the cupcake batter and frosting. Start with 3 drops and add more until your desired color is reached. Note that the color will fade in the cupcakes as they are baking. Gel food coloring doesn't fade as much as liquid food coloring.
- You can also use pink champagne or sparkling rosé wine which has a light pink color.
How to Add More Champagne Flavor to Cupcakes
Poke holes in the top of the cupcakes with a toothpick and brush champagne or Champagne simple syrup on over them.
To make champagne simple syrup, combine ¼ cup each of champagne and sugar in a small pan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Don't pour champagne on them or add too much or your cupcakes will become soggy.
How to Decorate Champagne Cupcakes
- Sprinkle some gold sanding sugar, sprinkles, jimmies, or edible gold leaf on top.
- Sprinkle white sugar pearls on top.
- Insert a festive and sparkly cake topper into the center of the cupcake.
- Insert a gold cocktail stirrer into the cupcake.
- Insert a sparkling cake candle into the cupcake. Light it when serving.
How to Store and Freeze
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Freeze Leftover Frosted Cupcakes: Place them on a baking sheet with space between them. Freeze until solid. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
To Freeze Unfrosted Cupcakes: Prepare the cupcakes and frosting but do not frost the cupcakes. Freeze them in separate containers for up to 3 months.
Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Frost and decorate if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the alcohol is cooked out when making the champagne reduction but a trace of the alcohol could remain.
No, there is only a trace of alcohol in the cupcakes.
Since some alcohol could be in the cupcakes, it is best for kids not to eat them. For kid-safe cupcakes, you could make this recipe with non-alcoholic sparkling wine or sparkling apple juice.
More Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling
- Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Sushi Roll
- Margarita Cheesecake
- Champagne White Chocolate Truffles
- Strawberry Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Find lots of festive and easy dessert recipes here on 2CM!
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Champagne Cupcakes
Equipment
- Handheld mixer or stand mixer
- Piping bag with tips
Ingredients
Reduction
- 1 ½ cups champagne or prosecco
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup champagne reduction (above)
- 2 tablespoons milk
Champaign Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons champagne reduction (recipe above)
Instructions
Champagne Reduction
- Heat the champagne in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer down until it is reduced to ¾ cup. (Measure it out to make sure it has reduced enough) Do NOT allow the champagne to boil. Once the champagne is reduced, remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator.
Cupcakes
- Line the cupcake pan and preheat the oven to 350°F
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar, butter, and oil. Use a mixer and mix for about three minutes. It will look light colored and fluffy.
- Continue beating while adding vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated.
- Remove from mixer and stir in champagne reduction and milk. Continue to stir until fully incorporated. The batter may curdle slightly but that's OK.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until combined, but try not to overmix the batter as it will result in dense cupcakes.
- Fill cupcake liners ¾ full, and bake for 14-16 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness by inserting one into the center. If it comes out clean or with loose crumbs, then it is done.
- Remove cupcakes from oven, and cool on a cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Champagne Buttercream
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add in the salt and champagne reduction and mix well.
- To pipe onto cupcakes, place frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip, and pipe frosting on using a circular motion. Top with sprinkles as desired.
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