Moscato Cupcakes
Moscato cupcakes are vanilla cupcakes with pink buttercream frosting spiked with strawberry wine. Each bite is sweet, flavorful and boozy!
Cocktail cupcakes are back and this time using strawberry moscato wine! These vanilla cupcakes are spiked with moscato, a sweet, slightly bubbly, wine. Moscato is sweeter than most wines so it naturally adds a sweetness to the cupcakes. I specifically chose a strawberry flavored moscato because, hello, pink frosting!
Why this recipe works: The base of this recipe is a simple vanilla cupcake recipe. The addition of bubbly pink wine makes the cupcakes fluffy and sweet. The buttercream frosting is flavored with moscato wine reduction for the ultimate flavor and eye-catching pink hue.
I used my champagne cupcakes recipe to make these moscato cupcakes. It was an easy substitution since both wines are a little bubbly. With either recipe, the alcohol is truly evident, especially in the buttercream frosting.
How to make moscato cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk together dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Combine sour cream and moscato.
- Alternate adding sour cream mixture and flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
- Bake cupcakes for 18 minutes.
How to make moscato buttercream frosting
Moscato frosting is easy to make with a moscato reduction and buttercream frosting recipe. To start, make a moscato reduction. Heat a cup of moscato on the stovetop until it boils down to two tablespoons. The flavor will become more concentrated as will the color—hence the pink hue! Let the reduction cool completely.
Make the buttercream frosting by beating together butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the moscato reduction to the frosting and mix until combined. Transfer to a piping bag with a desired tip and frost the cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can rosé be used in place of moscato? Yes, rosé may be used in place of moscato. You can also use a regular moscato (not pink).
How to store moscato cupcakes: Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Can you freeze moscato cupcakes? Yes. Individually wrap unfrosted cupcakes and freeze in an airtight container for up to one month.
Related recipes
Wine is a fun ingredient to bake with. Chocolate pairs well with red wine, which is why I love the idea of these red wine brownies. Another way to incorporate wine into baking is with my champagne cupcakes (perfect for New Year’s and graduation parties!)
And if you are looking for a refreshing summer drink, you must try frozen rosé (also known as frosé).
I liked making these cupcakes for summer since rosé season is in. I can only imagine all the other excuses to make moscato cupcakes… girls’ weekend, Valentine’s Day, bachelorette parties, birthdays—the options are endless!
What occasion would you make moscato cupcakes for? let me see on social media by tagging @ifyougiveablondeakitchen.
Get the Recipe: Moscato Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (218 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, , room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs,, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (124 g) sour cream,, room temperature
- ½ cup (118 ml) pink moscato
Frosting
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (250 ml) pink moscato
- 1 cup (226 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, , room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Moscato Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract just until combined.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup pink moscato and 1/2 cup sour cream (mixture will fizz and bubble a little).
- With the mixer on low, gradually add in the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with moscato mixture (So it goes flour, moscato, flour, moscato, flour). Mix until batter is uniform and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Fill baking cups about 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack, and allow them to cool to room temperature before frosting.1
Moscato Frosting
- Place 1 cup of pink moscato in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a small bowl or condiment cup and allow to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream softened butter and powdered sugar together. Once the frosting is thick and fluffy, pour in the reduced 2 tablespoons moscato plus 1 tablespoon moscato from the bottle and mix well.2
- Frost the cupcakes and garnish with nonpareil sprinkles if desired.3
Notes
- If you wish to brush the cupcakes with moscato, do so before frosting. About a teaspoon for each cupcake should be enough.
- If you’d like a pinker frosting, add the tiniest drop of red food dye to the frosting.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- If you wish to make mini cupcakes, reduce baking time to 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
