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Red, Red Wine Chocolate CupCakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Lala on Aug 23, 2010 in Chocolate Cupcakes
Red wine cupcakes with cream cheese frosting! Does it get any better than that? I’ve yet to come across any. These cupcakes are the tastiest I’ve made. They weren’t too difficult to make but if you attempt them I recommend wearing an apron because as we all know, red wine stains, and it’s easy to get carried away when using an electric mixer. The batter and wine is supposed to stay IN the bowl.
What you’ll need for 24 cupcakes (see frosting recipe below):
- 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 oz. chocolate chips
- 1/2 C boiling water
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 C sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 C flour
- 1 1/2 t baking powder
- 1 t salt
- 3/4 C red wine (I chose a Shiraz, which I think worked really well).
TOP SECRET UPDATE: I recently replaced the Shiraz wine with a Brachetto (Italian Red Sparkling Wine) and it made this Chocolate dessert recipe POP with flavors. Thank you, Rafael Sanchez, Certified Court of Masters Sommelier, a very good friend and person.
Apple-style-span”>In a heatproof bowl combine cocoa powder and chocolate chips and pour in the boiling water. Using a whisk, stir the chocolate until it’s all melted. In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then beat in each egg one at a time until they’re all mixed in. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then slowly add that to the mixture making sure it’s all combined. Add some of the chocolate to the mixture, then some of the wine, alternating until all of it is blended. Pour batter into your papered muffin tins, almost all the way to the top. Awesome tip I learned from my mom: Use an ice cream scoop to spoon your batter into the cupcake papers. It is SO much easier than anything else I’ve tried! Pop those in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and let cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 C butter, room temperature
- Salt, pinch
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 2 1/2-3 C confectioner sugar
- 1 T vanilla
Beat the butter with the salt until it’s nice and fluffy. Then add the cream cheese and continue beating until it’s all combined. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl about 1/2 C at at a time and beat to combine. Keep adding more until the frosting is at the consistency and sweetness-level that you desire.
The site recommends a Shiraz wine, which I used, because of it’s sweeter taste. I added some red sugar sprinkles to top them off and give them an extra sparkle. I about melted as soon as one of these treats touched my lips. Absolutely delicious.
I’m excited to get everybody’s reactions and opinions.
