If you’re a wine lover, you have to try these citrusy Sangria Cupcakes. These boozy cupcakes start with boxed cake mix to keep things quick and easy. A little orange zest and some white wine keep them from being ordinary. Topped with a delicious white wine infused buttercream, these cupcakes feel celebratory and fun. 
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Sangria Cupcakes are Delicious!
A White Sangria Cupcake is a perfect way to start the weekend or to wind down after a hard day at work. They have the perfect hint of booziness! They are also the perfect treat to bring to any girl’s night. And they are always a crowd favorite dessert to serve at any holiday party.
How to Infuse Cupcakes with Wine
If you have never made a boozy cupcake before you are probably wondering how you incorporate the wine. But it really couldn’t be easier! You just mix in some wine into your cupcake batter.
Basically, we are swapping out the milk and using white wine for the liquid the cake mix calls for. Add a bit of orange zest to give it a touch of citrus flair which is something you find in traditional white sangria!
You can also add wine to your buttercream. And if you want to amp up the wine flavor even more, just brush the tops of the baked cupcakes with some extra wine before decorating them.
Can you Make Wine Cupcakes From a Boxed Mix?
You know I’m a huge fan of saving time in the kitchen (especially during a busy season!) so if I can use a boxed mix you can be sure I’m going to.
And these cupcakes? Yup, you can make them using your favorite white vanilla cake mix.
Using a boxed mix means you don’t have to get out all those extra cake mix ingredients. Or your huge stand mixer. It’s my favorite time-saving trick when baking. And it’s really easy to modify the flavors and make just about any type you want.
How to Make Sangria Cupcakes with White Wine
Ingredients for easy sangria cupcakes:
- 1 vanilla cake mix
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup milk
What type of wine to use in these easy Sangria Cupcakes?
Any type of white wine will work in these cupcakes. Since I’m not a huge fan of Chardonnay, that wouldn’t be my first choice. Especially for these easy Sangria Cupcakes, I would probably choose a Sauvignon Blanc, which often has citrus notes. I use sherry wine in my wine cake recipe and it has a really lovely rich flavor that would also be great.
Ingredients for Sangria Buttercream:
- 1 batch Very Best Vanilla Buttercream
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 3 TBSP white wine
- 1 tsp Cointreau
I have a go-to vanilla buttercream recipe that I always like to use as my base. It’s super versatile and can be modified to work with almost any flavor cupcake. Be sure to click over to the Vanilla Buttercream recipe as you’re making your grocery list.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Following the basic directions on the box of the cake mix, mix together the cake mix, egg, white wine, orange zest, butter and milk.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 5 minutes and bring the temperature down to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until done.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Why Use Different Time to Cook the Cupcakes?
I am not a super-skilled baker, but I do know that I love a good golden, rounded cupcake. It may or may not be true, but somewhere along in my life, I learned that starting cupcakes in a higher temperature oven before turning down, helps to create a nice crust and a more rounded top.
This part is totally optional. You do you. I just know I hate when a cupcake looks deflated. But it also depends on the batter and so many other factors. Baking is a science, yo. And I ain’t no scientist.
Prepare the Sangria Frosting
- Mix a batch of vanilla frosting with Cointreau.
- Add confectioners sugar, then a TBSP of white wine, alternating between the two ingredients – a little at a time- and finishing with confectioners sugar.
Make sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting! You don’t want to learn that one the hard way. Trust me!
Printable Recipe for Sangria Cupcakes
Easy Sangria Cupcakes
If you're looking for a fun and festive cupcake to make for your next party, try these citrus-y Sangria Cupcakes made easy with boxed cake mix and a little white wine.
Ingredients
- 1 boxed vanilla cake mix
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Following the basic directions on the box of the cake mix, mix together the cake mix, egg, white wine, orange zest, butter and milk.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 5 minutes and bring the temperature down to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until done.
Let the wine cupcakes cool completely. Frost cupcakes with sangria frosting and decorate with lemon and orange wedges.
More Easy Boozy Desserts
- Margarita Cupcakes
- Sherry Wine Cake
- Easy Rum Bundt Cake
- Stout Brownies
- Jam Stuffed Cupcakes with Red Wine Infused Buttercream
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