Name: Pink Champagne Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 130 grams cake flour; 175 grams granulated sugar; 130 grams pink champagne; 2 large eggs; 70 grams sour cream; 70 grams neutral-flavored oil (I used grapeseed); 2 tsp baking powder; ⅛ tsp salt; red or pink food coloring (optional); 350 grams confectioner's sugar; 227 grams unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks); 60 grams heavy cream; 50 grams pink champagne; red or pink food coloring

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These pink champagne cupcakes are the perfect addition to any dessert table not just because they’re delicious but because they’re one of the easiest cake recipes I’ve come up with!

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These cupcakes skip the creaming stage to use the reverse creaming method instead which gives us pink champagne cupcakes that perfectly soft and pillowy complementing the delicate flavor or the sweet champagne! I also opted for a lighter version of American buttercream as the icing on top so no worries about making any meringue frostings if you’re a beginner!

What’s even better is if you wanted to skip the booze for these cupcakes you can easily swap out the pink champagne for a non-alcoholic version – though the flavor will be different depending on your choice of substitution the result will still be delectable!

Pink champagne cupcakes are the perfect addition to a New Year’s Eve celebration’s dessert table but can also bring a “stush” level of sophistication to any other gathering!

key ingredients

Pink champagne. Pink or rosé champagnes have more fruity notes that are perfect in baked goods plus the carbonation contributes to the airy texture of these cupcakes.
Cake flour. Has less gluten than all-purpose flour so the cake has a lighter texture.
Oil. Gives the cupcakes a softer texture than butter would. Use a neutral-flavored oil so it doesn’t distract from the flavor of the pink champagne.
Sour cream. Incorporates more fat into the cupcakes to make them moist.
Baking powder. Double-acting ensures an even and constant rise in the cupcakes.
Heavy cream. Used in the buttercream to mellow the sweetness of American buttercream which can be cloying

tips for the best pink champagne cupcakes

Which champagne is best for baking? Contrary to cooking, sweet champagnes are best for baked goods since they are less acidic and the sweetness tends to enhance the floral notes present in the wine. Look for a label that says “sweet” or “doux.”
Technically true champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France but I’ve successfully used “American champagne” like this Barefoot Pink Moscato or even this Cook’s Sweet Rosé.
The most important thing is to make sure you are using a sparkling or carbonated wine as the carbonation contributes to the airy texture of the cupcakes!
If you want to skip the booze try a non-acoholic option like Martinelli’s Sparkling Blush.

Beat for a full 2 minutes when making the batter. Typically most recipes would advise against over-beating but when using the reverse creaming method as we do in this recipe, it’s important to mix the batter long enough so that it can develop sufficient gluten so that the cake can rise properly without sinking and bakes into a texture that holds together well.

Don’t substitute all-purpose flour. This cake calls for cake flour which has a lower gluten content than all-purpose flour giving the cake a softer crumb.

Use an oven thermometer. I recommend one for all my baking recipes. Your oven can have hotspots or run hotter (or cooler) than the presented reading. An oven thermometer takes out the guess work so you can have predictable and consistent results every time!

how to make the pink champagne cupcakes

Step 1. Preheat oven to 330°F

Step 2. Add the eggs, pink champagne, sour cream & red/pink food coloring (if using) in a bowl and whisk til smooth. Set aside.

Step 3. Add the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder & salt to your mixing bowl and stir to evenly disperse all the ingredients. Unmixed baking powder causes a sharp and severely unpleasant taste in baked goods so don’t skip this step as it ensures an even texture and flavor throughout your cupcakes.

Step 4. Add the oil to the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed (level 5 on my Kitchen Aid mixer) until there are no more dry spots but the mixture is still clumpy. This reverse creaming method allows the fat to coat the flour which decreases the amount of gluten that forms during mixing giving the cake a softer texture.

Step 5. Add just enough of the egg mixture to moisten the batter (about a quarter) then mix on medium speed for a full 2 minutes. Mixing for an extended time at this step will ensure that just enough gluten is formed so that the cake has a stable structure.

Step 6. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula then, on low-medium speed, slowly pour in the rest of the egg mixture. Continue to mix until the batter is smooth (this should only take an additional 10 seconds or so). The batter will be very thin – almost like paint. This is normal.

Step 7. Pour the batter for your pink champagne cupcakes into a prepared cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake 3⁄4 of the way with the batter.

Step 8. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly.

how to make the pink champagne buttercream

Step 1. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and whip until smooth. Add red/pink food coloring until desired color is achieved.
Using a whip/whisk attachment at this stage ensures a light and fluffy buttercream but can cause some very large air bubble as shown below. Switching to a flat beater will help knock out these large air bubbles.

assembling the pink champagne cupcakes

Step 1. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag affixed with your favorite piping tip and decorate the cupcakes as desired.