Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Pink Champagne Cupcakes: A from-scratch (and also a cake mix recipe option) recipe that walks you through exactly how to make sparkling wine or champagne cupcakes!

Cupcake recipes are perfect for birthday parties or for a weekend treat. You’re also going to love our popular Biscoff cupcakes, these Oreo cupcakes and of course, our caramel cupcakes!

Orignally published in December of 2019 – Updated in April 2018

 

Then, if you want to really make an impression, whip up a batch of these easy pink chocolate strawberries to go along with them!

It is NO secret around here how much I love easy desserts for parties and even just to make for fun after main course!

💞 Why You’ll Love these Cupcakes

• Pink Color: They’re a beautiful pink cupcake that’s perfect for a pink-themed party, or to add a bit of prettiness to any gathering.
• Easy Recipe: They’re easy, whether you choose to make them from scratch or with the cake mix recipe, also below.
• Flexible: There are a few areas where you may prefer to leave some items out, or even add more of something. You’ll see how you can make this recipe with your own preferences, with the tips throughout the recipe.

How to Make Pink Champagne Cupcakes from Scratch

Before you start mixing together the ingredients, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a cupcake baking pan with paper liners and set aside.

Champagne Reduction (Not as difficult as it sounds!)

1. Open the bottle of champagne and measure out 1 ½ cups of champagne. 
2. Pour it into a saucepan and simmer for about 6-8 minutes and let it reduce until there’s only ¾ cup of liquid remaining (image above).
3. Let this concentrated liquid cool down to room temperature before adding to your batter.
4. Reserve 1-2 Tablespoons for the buttercream frosting.

5. Next, in a small bowl, measure and whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and set aside (image above).
6. In a separate bowl, use a mixer to beat butter and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
7. Then, add sugar, vegetable oil and eggs. Continue mixing until combined.

8. Set the mixer to medium speed, gradually alternate between adding flour mixture and concentrated liquid champagne (image above).
9. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you work.

Pink Food Coloring – Optional

To make your cupcakes a little more pink, feel free to use pink food coloring in to the batter before baking!

Pro Tip: Just a small amount of pink food coloring will do. A simple dip in to the food coloring with a toothpick will add a significant amount of color.

Mix until fully blended!

However, if you aren’t a fan of food coloring, it’s definitely not necessary!

10. On the cupcake batter is all mixed, fill the cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes!

How to Make Pink Champagne Buttercream Frosting

Now for the champagne icing, you can kick it up a notch on the champagne if you prefer, for a more intense champagne flavor.

Pro Tip: The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of champagne reduction, but feel free to use 2 if you’re going big or going home!

While the cupcakes are baking, it’s a great time to whip up the buttercream frosting

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons of the champagne reduction until smooth.
2. Then, add milk as needed to reach the desired consistency!
3. To add some pink color to your buttercream, this is the pink food coloring I recommend!

Pro Tip: It doesn’t take much food coloring! Simply dip of a toothpick into the coloring will add a great amount of color to your buttercream!

If using food coloring, mix thoroughly and set aside and wait for the cupcakes to fully cool before frosting!

How to Frost the Pink Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes have baked and have sat out to cool (it’s important to let them cool or the frosting will instantly melt and slide off of your cupcakes!) it’s time to frost those cuties!

Now I’m NO frosting and piping expert, but I have found it really easy to frost cupcakes when using a piping bag and tips!
Feel free to use any tips that you wish! My favorites are in a set of tips like these and disposable piping bags.

Cupcake Sprinkles and Toppings

Of course, you can decorate your cupcakes any way you like, but to have your cupcakes look like these, you can grab the following supplies here:

• White Ball Sprinkles
• Clear Sprinkles
• Pink Sugar Pearls

How to Make Pink Champagne Cupcakes with a Cake Mix

If wanting to make these cupcakes using a box mix, it’s simple!
However, if scratch is more your style, see the printable recipe card below with full instructions!

Makes 24 cupcakes

Prep time:  12 minutes Cook time:  20 min Total Time: 22 minutes

• 1 boxed white cake mix
• 1 cup Pink Champagne reduce
• ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 eggs
• Pink food coloring

Cupcakes from Box Mix Directions:  

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cupcake baking tray with paper liners and set aside. 
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 2 cups Pink Champagne and simmer until it is reduced to 1 cup liquid, about 6-8 minutes.
   Set aside until room temperature. Reserve 1-2 Tablespoons to use in buttercream icing. 
3. Combine Cake mix, oil, and eggs together until well blended.  Add a drop of pink coloring to the cooled reduced champagne to a light pink and stir well.  Add champagne reduction to the batter and blend well.
4. Fill each paper cup ⅔ full and bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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❄️ How to Store the Cupcakes

• Room Temperature: If you’d like to store the cupcakes at room temperature, it’s best to store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Refrigerate: If you’d like to refrigerate these pink champagne cupcakes, place them in an air tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Do note, that sometimes refrigerating cupcakes can make them dry out more.)
• Freeze: If freezing the cupcakes is something you need or want to do, freeze them without frosting, in a freezer-safe container (preferably also wrapping the cupcakes in Glad’s Press’n Seal — as we’ve found this is the best for freezing), for up to 3 months.
• Thaw: When ready to defrost the cupcakes, simply let them thaw in the container, on the counter before frosting.

Recipe FAQs

Love Easy Dessert Recipes?

If you love easy desserts like we do, then you’ll also love these recent favorites:

Looking for a keto option for cupcakes? I love that we have options for this diet now. My son has to do keto often and these keto cupcakes come in handy!

Did You Make This?
Snap a pic and hashtag it #Fantabulosity — I love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook.

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