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, before being topped with a delicious white wine-infused buttercream.
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.
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Why this recipe works
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 some wine into your cupcake batter.
Starting with a boxed cake mix cuts down on prep time and gives you that consistent base to start from. You can taste the white wine and citrus flavors that mimic your favorite sangria recipe.
A bit of orange zest gives the batter 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.
I have 7 sangria recipes on my site so you KNOW I’m a fan of this delicious wine cocktail. I especially love the zing of my Hibiscus Sangria. But cupcakes? Can’t stop, won’t stop.
Boozy cupcakes are always a great idea. These easy Sangria Cupcakes are perfect for your next girl’s night in or anytime you’re feeling celebratory.
Ingredients
For these delicious sangria cupcakes, I started with a box of white cake mix. I like it best because it gives it vanilla flavor but let’s the other ingredients shine through. You could use a yellow cake mix if you didn’t have white but the flavor would change slightly.
Like with most of my cocktail-inspired cupcakes, you don’t follow the ingredients or steps on the back of the boxed cake mix.
For this recipe you use an egg, melted butter and milk. I used salted butter (because I prefer it) and whole milk because that is what we drink in our house. You can use low-fat or skim if you have it.
The orange zest and white wine really give these cupcakes their flavor.
If you wanted to add a little lime zest to add in even more citrus flavor, you can totally do that. But the orange is also really nice so do your best to use both flavors, but never only lime. That might taste more like a Moscow Mule Cupcake or the Margarita Cupcake.
What type of wine to use in these cupcakes?
Any type of white wine will work. 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.
I have a go-to vanilla buttercream recipe that I always like to use as my base for any flavored frosting I make. It’s super versatile and can be modified to work with almost any flavor cupcake.
If you don’t have Cointreau, you can use Triple Sec or another orange-flavored liqueur. And since you’ll have a bottle of wine open to make the cupcakes, you can use the same wine in the buttercream.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. NOTE: You will be turning it down to a lower temperature to finish baking.
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
To a large bowl, add the dry cake mix.
Add the egg and orange zest. (This zester is the only one you’ll ever need. I’ve had mine for about 15 years and I use it way more than I expected.)
Add the milk and melted butter. Then mix (by hand or with a hand mixer) until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners.
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and cook for another 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting
To prepare the Sangria Frosting, mix up a batch of vanilla frosting per the instructions on that post. Add the Cointreau and mix well. 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! The frosting will melt and slide right off.
Decorate the sangria cupcakes with lemon and orange wedges. A little fresh mint also makes it feel more cocktail-inspired.
Top tips
- To get even more wine flavor into the cupcakes you can poke a few small holes with a toothpick (similar to a Poke Cupcake) and drizzle more white wine onto the cake.
- To make these even more dramatic, you can use a pipette with wine and stick them in the cupcake for the eater to add as desired.
- Do not overmix the batter! Mix just until everything is incorporated.
- Use good quality cupcake liners. Cheaper ones tend to not come off as easily and pull off lots of the cake in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store unfrosted cupcakes, in an air-tight container, at room temperature for about 3 days. They will last a little bit longer when stored in the fridge. If they are frosted, you will need to store them in the fridge right away. The frosting will begin to break down within a day or so.
As everyone’s taste preferences are different, I think any brand is good. I typically look for what is the least expensive or on-sale. If you do enjoy the outcome of the cupcakes you make, make note of the brand. The boxes give you a consistent cupcake experience which is helpful when modifying them to be more cocktail inspired, like these sangria cupcakes.
Most box cake mixes are around 15.25 ounces. This is down from 18 ounces that was standard a few years ago. When making an older recipe, pay attention to if they note the ounces as it can make a big difference in your baking. I would say almost all the mixes that are on the shelf today are 15.25 ounces.
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.
A few more easy recipes you might also enjoy!
- Rose Wine Infused Cupcakes
- Prosecco Cupcakes with Prosecco Buttercream
- Cinnamon Cupcakes with Fireball Whiskey
- White Russian Cupcakes with Box Cake Mix
- Southern Comfort Dessert Cupcakes
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Easy Sangria Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Sangria Cupcakes
- 1 vanilla cake mix (dry)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup white wine (I like sauvignon blanc)
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup milk
For the Sangria Buttercream
- 1 batch Vanilla Buttercream Post linked below
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 TBSP white wine (sauvignon blanc)
- 1 tsp Cointreau
Instructions
For the sangria cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the dry cake mix, egg, white wine, orange zest, melted 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.
For the sangria buttercream
- Make a batch of my basic Vanilla Buttercream per the instructions on that post.
- Add the Cointreau and mix to combine.
- Add powdered sugar, then a TBSP of white wine, alternating between the two ingredients – a little at a time- and finishing with confectioners sugar.
- Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- Don’t have Cointreau? You can use any orange-flavored liqueur like Triple Sec.
- To get even more wine flavor into the cupcakes you can poke a few small holes with a toothpick (similar to a Poke Cupcake) and drizzle more white wine onto the cake.
- To make these even more dramatic, you can use a pipette with wine and stick them in the cupcake for the eater to add as desired.
- For making the best cupcakes, do not overmix the batter! Mix just until everything is incorporated.
- Use good quality cupcake liners. Cheaper ones tend to not come off as easily and pull off lots of the cake in the process.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on May 14, 2021, and has now been updated with updated links, and more information and instructions!
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