Wedding Cupcakes with Champagne Frosting

Use this recipe for lovely homemade wedding cupcakes. Topped with champagne frosting, these wedding cupcakes sparkle and shine on the special day. Cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream produce the softest, fluffiest cupcakes.

Today is our anniversary. ♥ September 20th 2014 seems like a lifetime ago as we get lost in the hustle bustle of everyday life.

I remember everyone telling us how quickly the wedding day flies by. Stop, take a moment for just the two of you, breathe it all in, and capture the feeling right there… right then. While the rest of the crowd enjoyed happy hour, we snuck away from the flurry of excitement and activity. We sat down, relaxed, sipped some wine, I fixed my hair, we took a selfie. And today, that silly picture is one of my favorites from our wedding day. We’re smiling, alone, treasuring that one private moment during the biggest day of our lives as we knew it. Just us 2.

And today, 3 years later, we’re ready to hit pause all over again as we await the arrival of our daughter. Smiling, alone, waiting to treasure that one private moment during the biggest day of our lives as we know it. Just us 3.

Homemade Wedding Cupcakes

The Fall wedding season is upon us! And with that comes plenty of dessert.

I know many of you prefer to make your own treats for wedding celebrations and wedding showers. And I sincerely applaud you. This is no easy task as dozens (or, more likely, hundreds!) of people depend on you to satisfy their sweet tooth. This isn’t just any old party– it’s a wedding. The pressure is on. Taste must be paramount, texture must be impeccable, and presentation must be spot-on.

When it comes to DIY wedding desserts, perfection is key. And here’s where I can help. I took my most popular vanilla cupcake recipe and added champagne. Because… CHEERS! It’s a wedding!

If you were to define “fancy schmancy celebration” with a dessert, these homemade wedding cupcakes with champagne frosting would be it.

Cupcake Batter

This recipe stems from my favorite vanilla cupcakes. The vanilla cupcake batter comes together in minutes. You need a box of cake flour and if you’re making a few batches, that’s great because then you can use up the whole box! Cake flour helps to produce the softest, lightest cakes and cupcakes you’ll ever eat. Don’t use all-purpose flour here. The egg whites are a 2nd non-negotiable. Egg whites help produce a light & fluffy texture. Since we are losing a little fat from the missing egg yolks, we can add that back in with sour cream.

I mentioned this in the original vanilla cupcake recipe, but it’s worth repeating: sour cream is a power ingredient in this recipe. Like the egg whites and cake flour, it lightens up the crumb. Greek yogurt could be used in its place, but I find that cupcakes made with sour cream are less dense.

Champagne x2

Instead of milk in the cupcake batter, use champagne. The cupcakes don’t exactly taste like champagne, but they definitely have a “sparkly” texture. (If that makes any sense?) Like my mimosa cupcakes! (← another option for DIY wedding cupcakes)

The cupcake batter isn’t the only place where bubbly is hiding. Garnish the cupcake with a little champagne buttercream. Let’s toast to that!

Champagne Frosting

The frosting begins with a vanilla buttercream base. Super straightforward: butter + confectioners’ sugar. To that, we’ll add champagne and vanilla extract. But we need to reduce down the champagne on the stove before adding it. Why? Reducing the champagne packs an intense amount of flavor into a smaller amount of champagne. We can’t overload our frosting with liquid because that would ruin it. Rather, we will add a small amount of *extreme* champagne flavor. I learned this trick from Wicked Good Kitchen. 🙂

See that photo above? Left = champagne. Right = reduced and highly concentrated champagne. Look at the crazy color difference! So much flavor without ruining the texture of our creamy buttercream frosting.

What type of champagne do I use? Your favorite.

After you reduce the champagne, make sure it cools to room temperature. Otherwise it will melt the butter in your frosting! Whenever I make champagne frosting, I reduce down the champagne once the cupcakes come out of the oven. That way the champagne can cool down as the cupcakes themselves cool down.

Pipe a buttercream rose on top and your wedding dessert is ready for a celebration. ♥ ♥

These cupcakes taste a lot like my white wedding cupcakes, but they’re much softer. Keep that in mind if you’re torn between which two to make. Also… today’s cupcakes include champagne. So there’s that!!

Tips for baking multiple batches and making ahead are in the recipe below!

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Wedding Cupcakes with Champagne Frosting

★★★★
4 from 1 reviews

• 
  Author: Sally


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  Prep Time: 30 minutes


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  Cook Time: 20 minutes


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  Total Time: 3 hours


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  Yield: 14-15 cupcakes or 32-36 mini cupcakes


• 
  Category: Cupcakes


• 
  Method: Baking


• 
  Cuisine: American

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Description

Soft and fluffy vanilla wedding cupcakes topped with champagne frosting. Perfect for any wedding celebration and bridal shower!

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Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 and 3/4 cups (200g) cake flour*


• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder


• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature


• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar


• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature


• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


• 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream at room temperature*


• 1/2 cup (120ml) your favorite champagne

Frosting

• 3/4 cup (180ml) your favorite champagne


• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature


• 4 cups (480ml) confectioners’ sugar


• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


• optional: gold glitter sprinkles

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.


2. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.


3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the champagne until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.


4. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners – fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. (I start the next step as the cupcakes cool so the champagne can cool when the cupcakes do.)


5. Make the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring the champagne to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer until reduced down to 1/4 cup, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. You want it room temperature or cold.


6. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low at first then increasing to high speed. Once incorporated, add the next cup. Once creamy and combined, beat in 3 Tablespoons of the reduced champagne and the vanilla extract. Taste. Add the remaining reduced champagne if needed– and a pinch of salt if you’d like.


7. Frost cooled cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip and piped a rose on these pictured cupcakes. Top with sprinkles. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

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Notes

1. Make Ahead Instructions: Cupcakes can be made ahead 2 days in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 2 days in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. The easiest way to make these cupcakes ahead of time is to prepare and freeze. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. Instead of doubling or tripling, I recommend making a few separate batches as working with too much batter risks over or under-mixing.


2. Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Cupcake Liners | Cupcake Pan | Frosting Bags | Frosting Tip


3. Room Temperature Ingredients: This is so important!!


4. Cake Flour: If you cannot get your hands on cake flour, you can make a DIY version from all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Remove 2 Tablespoons. Mix in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. This equals 1 cup of cake flour. I suggest doing this twice, mixing it all up in 1 bowl then removing 1/4 cup since you need 1 and 3/4 cups in this recipe.


5. Sour Cream: Full fat sour cream is strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cupcakes may not be as light.


6. Milk: 1/2 cup whole milk may be used in the cupcake batter instead of champagne.


7. Mini Cupcakes: Bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sallysbakeblog on Instagramand hashtag it #sallysbakingaddiction

And PS: Our sprinkle (!!!) wedding cake was from Bredenbeck’s bakery.

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