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Make these easy champagne cupcakes for any celebration. Light, tender mini cupcakes topped with champagne buttercream and a festive gold finish.
Know Before You Scroll
What You’ll Need
All-purpose flour, champagne reduction, unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla, heavy cream or milk, confectioners’ sugar
Flavor Profile
Light, tender vanilla cake with a bright champagne finish and creamy champagne buttercream.
Difficulty Level
Easy
Equipment Needed
Mini muffin pan, cupcake liners, piping bag + star tip, small saucepan, hand or stand mixer
Top Tip
Reduce the champagne until syrupy — if it’s too thin, the flavor won’t shine through.
Time-Saving Tips
Make the champagne reduction the day before and keep it covered in the fridge.
Ingredient Swaps
Replace the champagne with prosecco or sparkling rosé for a different twist.
In The Test Kitchen
When I tested these champagne cupcakes, I wanted a recipe that actually tasted like champagne instead of something sweet with bubbles in the background. Reducing the champagne first was the game changer — it concentrates the flavor so it comes through in both the cupcake and the buttercream without making the texture heavy or dense. The batter stays light, the crumb tender, and the frosting has that subtle, grown-up sparkle that makes these perfect for New Year’s, anniversaries, or any celebration.
Ingredient Notes
Champagne
Best Choice
Brut or Extra Brut for the cleanest flavor.
Substitutions
Prosecco or cava work well.
Butter
Best Choice
High-quality unsalted butter at room temperature.
Substitutions
Salted butter works, but skip the added pinch of salt in the frosting.
Heavy Cream or Whole Milk
Best Choice
Heavy cream gives the softest crumb.
Substitutions
Whole milk.
Confectioners’ Sugar
Best Choice
Sifted powdered sugar for the smoothest buttercream.
Substitutions
None recommended for this style of frosting.
You can find the full, printable recipe at the top of this post, but you can read the detailed instructions with photos for each step below.
Step By Step Instructions
1
Reduce the champagne
Simmer ⅔ cup champagne until you have 6 tablespoons. Let it cool completely before using.
2
Mix the cupcake batter
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the butter and sugar until light, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir the champagne reduction with the cream or milk and alternate it into the batter with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
3
Bake the mini cupcakes
Fill the lined mini muffin pan about two-thirds full and bake until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool briefly in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4
Make the champagne buttercream
Beat the butter until creamy, then gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar. Add the champagne reduction and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, adjusting the texture as needed. Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
5
Frost the cupcakes
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe swirls onto the fully cooled cupcakes.
6
Finish and decorate
Lightly mist the frosted cupcakes with edible gold glitter spray from several inches away and let set for a few minutes before serving.
More Cupcakes
Recipe
Champagne Mini Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Mini Cupcakes:
- 2/3 cup champagne or sparkling wine (Brut or Extra Brut)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup champagne reduction (from above)
- ¼ cup heavy cream or whole milk
For the Champagne Buttercream:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2.5 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
- 2½ tablespoons champagne reduction (from above)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (to taste)
- Edible gold glitter spray (for a festive finish)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, simmer 2/3 cup champagne over medium heat until it reduces to 6 tablespoons total (about 10–12 minutes).
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a small cup, combine ¼ cup champagne reduction with ¼ cup cream or milk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the champagne-cream mixture. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just cobined—do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full (about 1 tablespoon of batter).
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add 2.5 cups of confectioners’ sugar, mixing on low after each addition.
- Add the champagne reduction and vanilla extract, then beat until fluffy and smooth.
- Adjust the texture by adding more sugar (to thicken) or a splash of cream (to loosen), as needed.
- Add a pinch of salt to taste to balance the sweetness.
- Pipe the buttercream onto cooled cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with a star tip (like Wilton 1M or 2D).
- Hold your edible gold glitter spray about 6–8 inches away and mist a light coat over the frosted cupcakes for a sparkly finish.
- Let the glitter dry for a few minutes before serving or storing.
Tips
Erren’s Top Tips
- Don’t skip cooling the champagne reduction — warm reduction can melt the butter in the batter.
- If the batter seems slightly thick, that’s okay. Overmixing will toughen the crumb.
- Use a small cookie scoop for even cupcake sizes.
- For extra champagne flavor, brush the tops of the cooled cupcakes lightly with a teaspoon of reduction before frosting.
Variations & Add-Ins
- Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes: Fold ¼ cup finely diced strawberries into the batter.
- Rosé Cupcakes: Replace the champagne with sparkling rosé for a soft pink hue.
- White Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle melted white chocolate over the frosted cupcakes for a luxe finish.
- Confetti Version: Add 2 tablespoons of rainbow sprinkles to the batter for birthday celebrations.
Storage & Freezing
- Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost fresh.
- You can freeze the champagne reduction in an airtight container for future batches.
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FAQs
Can I make these as regular cupcakes?
Yes — bake standard cupcakes for 16–18 minutes.
Does champagne flavor really bake through?
Yes, because reducing it concentrates the flavor and helps it hold up in the oven.
Can I make these alcohol-free?
Use non-alcoholic sparkling wine and reduce it the same way.
Can I make the frosting ahead?
Absolutely, store it in the fridge up to 3 days, then bring to room temp and re-whip.
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