Pink Champagne Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling

Cross-section of pink champagne cupcake showing strawberry filling center

Pink Champagne Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling

Tender pink champagne cupcakes brushed with a fresh champagne soak, filled with strawberry champagne filling, and topped with strawberry champagne buttercream. A real champagne reduction makes every layer taste like a celebration.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pink champagne cupcakes with strawberry filling

Prep Time: 1

Total Time with Cooling: 3

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 411kcal

Equipment

Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Small saucepan (for the reduction and filling)
Two 12-cup cupcake pans with 16 paper liners
Cupcake corer or small paring knife
Large piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or 2D open star tip
#16 cookie scoop (for even batter portioning) or ice cream scoop
Pastry brush (for the soak)

Ingredients

Champagne Reduction

1¾ cups sparkling rosé (or prosecco — see Angela's Tips)

Strawberry Champagne Filling

2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and chopped (frozen works — don't thaw)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons champagne reduction from above
¾ teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch salt

Pink Champagne Cupcakes — Dry Ingredients

1¾ cups cake flour (see Angela's Tips for an all-purpose substitute)
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt

Pink Champagne Cupcakes — Wet Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg whites room temperature
1 large whole egg room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup sparkling rosé (or prosecco) — flat is preferred
¼ cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt room temperature
2-3 drops pink gel food coloring optional

Champagne Soak

2 tablespoons sparkling rosé straight, not reduced — see Angela's Tips
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Strawberry Champagne Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter softened to cool room temperature
4½ cups powdered sugar sifted
1 tablespoon cornstarch stabilizer — see Angela's Tips
3 tablespoons cooled strawberry filling from earlier in the recipe — must be refrigerator-cold
2 tablespoons champagne reduction remaining from earlier
½ teaspoon strawberry extract or emulsion
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2-3 drops pink gel food coloring optional, for stronger pink tint
1 tablespoon heavy cream only if needed for consistency

Optional Garnish

Fresh strawberries (whole or sliced), Edible gold leaf flakes, Pink or gold sanding sugar, Pink and white nonpareils, Shimmer dust or edible pearl powder

Instructions

Make the champagne reduction: (start here as it needs time to cool)

Pour the sparkling rosé into a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Reduce uncovered to about scant ½ cup (about 7 tablespoons), roughly 18–22 minutes. You're looking for a slightly syrupy consistency, not thick. Cool completely before using. This yields enough reduction for both the filling and the buttercream, with a small buffer. Can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated.

Make the strawberry filling:

Whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl until smooth and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Cook over medium heat, mashing with a potato masher as the berries break down, 6–8 minutes, until you have a chunky-juicy mixture. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 minutes more until thickened and glossy. Off heat, stir in 3 tablespoons of the cooled champagne reduction. Cool completely, then transfer to the refrigerator. The filling must be refrigerator-cold before using in the buttercream — this is critical for buttercream stability. Yields about 1 cup.

Prepare for the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cupcake pans with 16 paper liners.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Don't shortcut this step — this is where the cupcakes get their tender crumb.
Add the eggs: With the mixer on medium, add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the whole egg and beat until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Combine the wine and sour cream: In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the ½ cup sparkling rosé and the sour cream. It will look slightly curdled — that's fine.
Mix the batter: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wine-sour cream mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix only until just combined. Add the pink gel food coloring now if using. Overmixing is the number one way to ruin this batter.
Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about ⅔ full (a #16 cookie scoop gives perfect portions). Bake for 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the tops spring back lightly when touched.
Cool and soak: Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. While the cupcakes are still warm, combine the 2 tablespoons sparkling rosé and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Microwave for 8–10 seconds, then whisk until the sugar fully dissolves. Brush the soak generously over the top of each cupcake. The microwave step is important — granulated sugar doesn't dissolve well in cold sparkling wine, and you don't want sugar grit on the finished cupcakes.
Cool completely: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on the wire rack before filling and frosting, about 1 hour.

Make the buttercream:

Confirm the strawberry filling is refrigerator-cold and the butter is at cool room temperature (a finger should leave an impression, but the butter should not feel squishy or oily). Whisk the cornstarch into the sifted powdered sugar — this stabilizer is the key to a buttercream that holds its swirl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the powdered sugar mixture one cup at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the cold strawberry filling one tablespoon at a time, beating between each addition. Add the champagne reduction, strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth, 1–2 minutes. Add gel food coloring if using. The buttercream should hold a stiff peak but feel smooth. If it looks too soft, see Angela's Tips for the recovery method. Only add the heavy cream if the buttercream is too stiff to pipe.

Fill the cupcakes:

Use a cupcake corer or a small paring knife to cut a 1-inch deep, ¾-inch wide hole in the top of each cooled cupcake. Save the tops. Fill each cavity with about 1 teaspoon of the cooled strawberry filling. Slice the bottom off each saved top so you have a thin cap, then replace it over the filling to seal the cupcake.

Frost and serve:

Fit a large piping bag with a Wilton 1M or 2D open star tip. Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake in a swirl, starting at the outside edge and working in and up. Garnish as desired with fresh strawberry slices, gold leaf, or pink sanding sugar (see Angela's Tips for more ideas). Serve at room temperature.

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