Recipe

These Champagne Cupcakes Beat Drinking Champagne

By Julia Rosenbaum at Hamilton College

In preparation for New Years Eve, I wanted to bake something both festive and inventive, so I chose to make champagne cupcakes. Everyone likes to pop a champagne bottle to celebrate, but rarely do people find its distinguishable taste in the middle of their bite. Incorporated into both the vanilla cake and its buttercream frosting, the champagne adds a tangy twist that balances out the sugary sweetness of the other ingredients.

Topped with gold sprinkles and sugar pearls, these champagne cupcakes are the perfect treat to serve to your friends as you count down the clock! 

Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting

  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Servings: 20
Ingredients
  • CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup champagne
  • 6 egg whites
  • CHAMPAGNE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS
  • 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons champagne at room temperature
  • FOR DECORATION
  • Gold sprinkles
  • Sugar pearls

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the cupcake pan with liners.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 2

With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 3

In a separate bowl, use a sifter (or a strainer in our case) to sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 4

Blend the dry sifted ingredients alternately with champagne into the creamed mixture using the electric mixer.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 5

In another large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 6

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 7

While your cupcakes are baking, make the frosting! With an electric mixer, beat together powdered sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for two minutes. Add vanilla extract and champagne, beating on medium for an additional minute.

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 8

Attempt to make beautiful shapes with your frosting. When failing to do so with all but one, get excited because under all of the sprinkles, no one will know!

Julia Rosenbaum

Step 9

Cheers to a happy new year!