Description
Celebrate any special occasion with these elegant Champagne Cupcakes. Light and fluffy, infused with champagne reduction in both the cake and buttercream frosting, these cupcakes offer a delicate, bubbly flavor perfect for festive gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) champagne
- 1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups (155g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120ml) champagne reduction, cooled
- 2 tbsp (30ml) milk
Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp champagne reduction, cooled
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Make Champagne Reduction: Pour all the champagne into a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 cup. Avoid boiling. Measure by pouring into a glass measuring cup, returning it to the pan if more reduction is needed. Once done, refrigerate until cool.
- Prepare Oven and Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cupcake pan with liners.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and oil until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, ensuring thorough creaming for airiness.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla extract with the second egg. Scrape the bowl’s sides to incorporate all ingredients.
- Combine Batter: Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and blend until just combined. Then add milk and cooled champagne reduction and mix well; the batter may appear slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Finish Batter: Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth and fully combined. Do not overmix. Scrape the sides as needed.
- Fill and Bake: Spoon batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove from oven and transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: In a large mixer bowl, beat butter and shortening until smooth.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Mix in half the powdered sugar until smooth and combined.
- Add Champagne and Salt: Stir in 3 tablespoons of the chilled champagne reduction and salt; mix well.
- Complete Frosting: Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional champagne reduction if needed.
- Decorate: Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes using a piping tip like Ateco 844 to create swirl designs. Optionally, add sprinkles that do not bleed if serving several hours later.
- Storage: Store cupcakes in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within 2-3 days for freshness.
Notes
- Do not boil champagne during reduction to preserve delicate flavors.
- Ensure butter and shortening are at room temperature for silky frosting.
- The batter might look curdled after adding champagne reduction—this is normal.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep cupcakes tender.
- Use non-bleeding sprinkles if cupcakes will be stored for several hours after decorating.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container and consume within 2-3 days for optimal taste and freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: champagne cupcakes, champagne frosting, festive cupcakes, party desserts, elegant cupcakes
