Easy Moscato Cupcakes
Moscato cupcakes are the perfect dessert to make for any celebration! Adding moscato to cupcakes makes them light in the center, crisp around the edges and adds a boost in flavor.
Happy Virtual Baby Shower Day to my sweet friend Erin from The Speckled Palate! Erin is one of my closest blogging friends and I am so excited to join together with a handful of bloggers to celebrate her and baby Speckle, due in just a few days!
When I studied abroad in Italy, I decided it was time to try to learn to like wine. I'm so glad that I did because now I can enjoy a glass of wine with my husband or with friends.
It's also been so fun to learn more about pairing wine with food and even cooking with wine.
So Moscato Cupcakes, for a baby shower?
Well, yes. Because they are fancy and fun. Because the wine is used in the batter, it's cooked out while baking. But if the mama to be you are celebrating wouldn't be comfortable, you can leave out the moscato and you still have crisp, sweet and light cupcakes to celebrate!
These make for a great housewarming gift too! And if you need a drink pairing with these festive cupcakes, try a limoncello spritz to compliment these flavors.
How to Use Wine in Cupcakes
The alcohol in wine will bake out while cooking, so this is the perfect recipe to use for occasions where someone may not be able to drink alcohol. If able, you can also add moscato to the icing for these cupcakes for a fun taste upgrade!
Tips for Perfect Moscato Cupcakes
Bake Cupcakes Until They Bounce Back
Make sure you bake cupcakes until they bounce back when gently touched or a toothpick comes out with cake crumbs on it. Batter on the toothpick means the cupcakes are underbaked and a clean toothpick means the cupcake is too dry.
Cool Cupcakes Completely Before Icing
Cooling on a wire rack lets the cupcakes cool completely. In a pinch cool the cupcakes on the wire rack in the fridge. But for the best, fluffiest cupcakes, cooling at room temperature is recommended.
Recommended Tools
Muffin Tin
Wire Cooling Rack
Mixing Bowls
Flexible Silicone Spatula
Aluminum Free Baking Powder
Vanilla Extract
All Purpose Flour
What else can I serve at a baby shower?
So glad you asked. Here are the other fabulous bloggers joining me for Erin's shower!
Lemon Lime Cake from I Dig Pinterest
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip from A Savory Feast
Chocolate Chunk Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches from Ciao Chow Bambina
Ginger Carrot Tartlets from Savory Spin
Blackberry Peach Bourbon Smash from The Crumby Kitchen
Butter Mints from Pastry Chef Online
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Coconut Whip from Crumb Top Baking
Moscato Cupcakes
Ingredients
Moscato Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup moscato wine
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Moscato Icing
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon moscato wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 12-count muffin tin, set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, yogurt, Moscato, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients, gradually adding dry ingredients to wet.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 21-23 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when gently touched. Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
For Moscato icing:
- Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed. Add in the Moscato and beat for 1 minute. The mixture will not be smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar until the desired thickness is reached.
I love how dense and moist these cakes are. This is my first time using alcohol in a cake...I was surprised the flavor wasn't more robust...at least the lemon flavor. The cakes are delicious. When making the frosting, I used lemon zest, more moscoto and a cup less powder sugar. Very good!
I see lemon zest in the instructions: Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, yogurt, moscato, vanilla and lemon zest.
But there is no mention of lemon zest in the receipe
Thank you for pointing that out!
Oh, Madison! I am 100% in for wine cupcakes at a baby shower... or in life, in general! And these feel kind of perfect for me today. 😉
Thank you so much for the sweet surprise to welcome Baby Speckle?she and I feel so loved and supported! Thank you for putting this together and making it so special! Now if there was a way for us to share all this food via the Internet so I could have a bite of everything, that would be amazing...
These are perfect for a shower Madison! I've never tried baking with wine, but sounds like a must try!
It's so fun! You'd love them. I'd be curious how they'd fair with coconut sugar too 🙂
I bet these are moist and amazing! Yum!
They are SO fluffy inside and so crisp tasting!
Love the sound of these cupcakes! They look so light and fresh, perfect for a baby shower.
Thanks Jenna!
I can't wait to make these for my family! Sound delicious!! 🙂
Thank you! Your fam will love them.
Madison, these photos are BEAUTIFUL.
And now I NEED a cupcake.
Yes... you REALLY do need one. They are SOO good. I'm sad they are gone now!
wine and cupcakes? count me in!!
That's exactly how I feel about it!
Umm yeah so moscato and cupcakes are two of my favorite things. How have I not combined them yet?! Hahah, thanks for the recipe!
Now you can!! 😉 I hope you love them!
Mmmm I made moscato cupcakes for my birthday 2 years ago and they were a HUGE hit!
So fun!!
These sound really good! I think I might be adding this recipe to my list to try.
Yes, do it! 🙂
Mmm these look tasty! I love the pics!
Thanks Heather!
These look incredible! I've never tried cooking with any type of alcohol, but I have tons of birthdays coming up and I think these will be a hit!
xo,
Marissa
http://www.makinitwithmarissa.com
Thanks Marissa! Wine is great in sauces, too!
I love that you say you decided to learn to like wine while you studied abroad. I had the same revelation with beer when I studied abroad in the Czech Republic! These cupcakes sound to die for and I will definitely have to try them!
That's awesome! I don't think I knew you went to the Czech Republic, but maybe I did! They're super festive 🙂
I'mma be honest - you had me at the title. 😉 Seriously though - these sound awesome! And perfect for the holidays. 🙂 Looking forward to giving these a try!
Ha, you had me at moscato 😉
Girl, stop, You're speaking my language when you combine my favorite beverage with my favorite dessert! I've done red wine cupcake before, but not moscato! I bet these are divine! Pinning all over this!
Were they chocolate cupcakes? I saw some recipes for chocolate cupcakes with wine frosting.
Mmmm, these sound good! I haven't used wine in baked goods, but I think it would be the perfect combination. 🙂
I know, why had we never though of this before?!
uh YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM i would have never thought of that!
It's so fun! Now I'm wondering all of the other ways I've missed out on using wine in cooking.
Must try this recipe!!
Let me know how it goes 🙂
I love moscato! And cupcakes! I have to try this! I've cooked with wine before, but usually just red wine. I only like drinking white wine though, so I feel like I need these cupcakes in my life ASAP!
Yes, you do girl! I prefer white wine, too!
I love cooking with wine (adding it to sauces or in meat dishes are my favorite) but I've never thought of adding it into cupcakes. I'll definitely have to try this sometime!
I hadn't either, but it was so good!
I've actually never cooked with wine except for the wine wings my mom makes when the whole family begs her to, but I should definitely give this a try!
It's a different way to try it for sure 🙂
These sound amazing!
Thanks!
You have combined two of my favorite things into one! These are a must have for my next girls night!
Yes, it would be so fun!!
I AM TOTALLY GOING TO TRY THIS. Moscato is my favorite wine anyway!
Do it, girl! It's great 🙂
Ooh YES! I love moscato and these look absolutely divine!! My favorite way to use wine currently is in beef bourguignon-- it just infuses the beef stew with such delicious richness 🙂
Oooh yum!! That sounds great. Steven would love it!
It's funny...I can't drink wine because it gives me headaches so I prefer to "eat" my wine! We put wine in so many of our sauces!
I would "eat" wine then too!! I love adding it to sauces, it adds so much flavor!
I occasionally cook with wine. I've never tried cupcakes though but these sound delicious. My fave wine dish is probably Chicken Marsala.
Ooh chicken marsala is so good!