Spiced Red Wine Cupcakes

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Take comfort in the cozy flavors of red wine cupcakes inspired by European Christmas markets. With warm spices and a hint of orange, these cupcakes are perfect for winter and festive occasions.

If you're a red velvet cake and holiday spice fan, you'll enjoy these red wine-infused cupcakes made without any added food coloring. The wine lends the deep red color and melds with the warming flavors of cinnamon, clove, and allspice, plus a hint of orange zest, to create a rich and moist cake.

😍 Why you'll love these cupcakes

They're reminiscent of European Christmas markets, where you can enjoy warm, spiced red wine by the mug.
Red wine adds depth and richness when many cupcakes are boring, flat, and lacking flavor. Seriously, why are there so many vanilla cupcakes in the world? Instead, these are tasty and unique.
They are perfect for Christmas and the winter season. Their warm, cozy quality is sure to bring cheer to any occasion.

For more cake inspirations, check out my recipes for:

Jump to:

😍 Why you'll love these cupcakes
🍷 Ingredients & Substitutions
🍫 Variations
🥣 How to make wine cupcakes
🌟 Top Tips
🥄 Equipment
🧁 Storage
🤔 FAQ
🍹 Pairing
📖 Recipe
🍰 Related Recipes
💬 Comments

🍷 Ingredients & Substitutions

Here's everything you need to make red wine cupcakes.

ingredients for making red wine cupcakes on a counter

Key Ingredients for wine cupcakes

Flour: Standard all-purpose flour is fine.
Red wine: Any variety you enjoy and have on hand. There's no need to use anything expensive. If you don't want to use wine or are avoiding alcohol, you could try an equal amount of non-alcoholic apple cider, though I haven't tried that myself.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar: These are used to sweeten the cake. They are dissolved into a pot of warmed wine.
Butter: I prefer Unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce the salt in the cake by half.
Sour cream: The extra fat makes the cake moist and rich. You could also use an equal amount of full-fat yogurt.
Cream cheese: For the tangy, sweet frosting.
Orange: We'll use zest to flavor the cake and juice in the frosting.
Powdered sugar: This is used to make the cream cheese frosting. If you don't have powdered sugar, here's a quick tip for making your own using granulated sugar.
Cinnamon, cloves, and allspice: These are the classic mulled wine flavoring ingredients. You could also add a bit of ground ginger and/or if you want.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

🍫 Variations

Chocolate red wine cupcakes: Replace ¼ cup of the flour with cocoa powder.
Make red wine frosting: Use red wine instead of orange juice when making the frosting.
Non-alcoholic cupcakes: Try apple cider in place of the wine.

🥣 How to make wine cupcakes

How to make these spiced red wine cupcakes.

dry ingredients being whisked in a mixing bowl

Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2: Then mix the sour cream and eggs in a second bowl.

red wine heating in a pan with sugar and orange zest

Step 3: Gently the wine until hot, then stir in the butter, sugars, and zest until combined.

sour cream mixture being added to the pan of red wine

Step 4: Allow the wine to cool briefly, then whisk in the sour cream and egg mixture.

Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold the two until incorporated. If the batter is lumpy, let it rest for a few minutes, then stir again.

cupcake batter being scooped into a muffin tray

Step 6: Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and evenly ladle in the batter amongst them.

cream cheese frosting on a whisk over a bowl

Step 7: Beat the remaining butter and cream cheese with the orange juice until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until a thick frosting has formed.

cream cheese frosting being piped onto a wine cupcake

Step 8: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, garnish with orange peel and cinnamon, and serve.

🌟 Top Tips

The cake batter may be a bit lumpy at first. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then continue to stir gently. A few lumps are fine as long as the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Want to make a fun orange garnish? Here are some ideas on how to make some.

🥄 Equipment

Mixer - An electric hand or stand mixer will make beating the cream cheese frosting easier.

🧁 Storage

Fridge - Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Both the cake and frosting dry out over time. Because the frosting contains cream cheese, it's best that the cupcakes not be left out at room temperature. Alternatively, unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in a container at room temperature for up to 5 days while the frosting is stored in the fridge.

Freezer: I recommend individually wrapping unfrosted cupcakes and storing them in a freezer bag while keeping the frosting in its own container. Both can be frozen for up to two months.

🤔 FAQ

What kind of red wine should I use?

Use a red wine you like to drink or already have on hand. The flavor of the wine in the cupcakes is mild, so the variety of wine isn't important. You won't need an entire bottle, and you will want to buy a bottle you won't mind drinking. You also don't need anything expensive, so if you already have a bottle of red on hand, that's perfect.

Does alcohol evaporate when baked in a cake?

Some of the alcohol will evaporate during baking, but not all. That said, if you're concerned about alcohol consumption or serving a baked good like these red wine cupcakes to kids, you should consider the amount of alcohol relative to the number of servings. In this recipe, for instance, 8 ounces of wine is used to make 12 cupcakes. That amounts to just over half an ounce of wine per cupcake. With baking, maybe that rounds down to half an ounce. But wine isn't 100% alcohol. Red wine averages 12% alcohol content, so it's 12% of half an ounce of alcohol per cupcake.

Can kids eat food cooked with wine?

Consider the amount of wine used, how long the food is cooked (the longer the food is cooked, the more the alcohol will evaporate), and the number of servings in the recipe. Then, make your own decision about whether that feels okay to you.

What does red wine add to a dish?

Red wine can add fruity, peppery, and savory notes to a dish. The flavor of the wine you use will determine this. Expect that flavor to intensify as it is concentrated during cooking. However, the flavor tends to mellow out more during baking and instead will often add richness and depth.