I am trying to make champagne cupcakes for a wedding. I made some for a test and I used Discolady's highly rated Pink Champagne recipe. I thought it was awful. It smelled and tasted like box mix to me.
So, I tried another recipe from the Starting to Simmer blog. Yuck. I'm thinking, it's the champagne I bought..Moscoto Spumante. It's delicious to drink, but the cupcakes just taste weird. What kind of champagne do you guys use and what recipe do you use?
P.S. They came out pretty though! 
I'm making minis on Friday for a wedding. I am using this recipe, but I haven't given it a test run so I don't know whether it's good or not!:
http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2010/12/sparkling-champagne-cupcakes.html
The cake and frosting part of it is the same recipe I used. I hope you have better luck! (The frosting was delicious though.)
Let me know how they come out!
I hate champagne, so I'm not even going to try them! I did reduce the champagne from a $75 bottle of champagne though! I'm thinking that (to me), this will taste worse than if I used a cheapy sweeter version lol! I kinda don't care, my B&G were insistent on these minis, even though I've never made them, they have never had champagne cupcakes before and we didn't do a taste testing of them, so it's always going to be somewhat of a lottery in the result!
LoL, I think you'll be fine. I just tasted one of my "dreaded" cupcakes and it was really good. I think they just needed 24 hrs for the flavors to mellow. Much, much better tasting today! Anyone else have the same experience? I think I still am going to opt for an inexpensive bottle of brut next time though.
Excellent! Wedding is not until Saturday afternoon, so they will have a day to mellow!
I tried pink champagne cakes twice with 2 different recipes and wasnt impressed. THe flavour was great but the cake was quite heavy to eat and not dissimilar from play-dough... I get the impression this flavour is much more popular/common in american but in the UK i struggled to find anyone who had tried it, let alone one they liked! Not sure if thats just british taste and loving our victoria sponges too much!!
If you find a recipe that works, please do share as i would love to know what the fuss is about!
Still, always fun to drink the left over champagne!
xxx
I just did a sample cake for a bride using the Pink Champagne recipe on here. I hate champagne, so I thought the smell was aweful! The cake itself seemed too....hmmm...well, it didn't handle well and cracked twice.
Next time I make it I will use my own recipe (similar to WASC) and just replace the liquid with champagne.
The bride e-mailed me the next day and said it was their favorite! (they had 4 flavors) So maybe the whole "mellowing" thing is correct.
I think champagne cupcakes made with real champagne is an acquired taste honestly.
But having said that I am going to try and make some. I bought Bare Foot Sparkling Pink Wine. I can't remember the name, but I went for an inexpensive, but very sweet champagne.
I am going to look up to Lorann Champagne oils though. It sounds intriguing.
I love love love my champagne cupcakes! I get rave reviews on them... I actually use prosecco though, a not so expensive bottle from Trader Joe's at that. I use a white cake mix and sub in the champagne for the water. Bam champagne cake and cupcakes. I love them. IMO, it cuts down on the sweetness of the cake. They seem lighter.
Hope this helps.
Hi- I'm Christie from Starting to Simmer- just wanted to let everyone know that I used cheap Brut Champange from Target to make the cupcakes- it came in a mini 4 pack which I like so that I don't have to open a whole bottle. (I think the brand was Korbel) I saved the good stuff for a gift to go with the cupcakes!
Hi Christie! I plan on using an inexpensive dry brut when I make them for the wedding. The small bottles are a great idea! The spumante flavor mellowed considerably the next day and was delicious! It was just too strong right after baking for my taste. The frosting is though, is one of the best I've ever had!
I do think it's kind of an acquired taste. And it took me a bit, I've now acquired it, lol. Thanks for your response.
Champagne (which I hate) is bitter. Moscato (which I love) is sweet - they are not interchangeable in a recipe. I serve Moscato De Asti in place of champagne all the time at weddings. But when making champagne cake I use champagne. Usually Brut. People like the cake. So I guess it's the bitter you need for this recipe.
Now, I have made the same cake using sparkling cider before (which is sweet) and people like that, too... but it's not the same cake.
But now I want to try it with Moscato... I love that stuff!!
Olive Garden Moscato is the bomb, huh? I finally found where I can purchase it (online). Even after shipping it's still $10 a bottle cheaper. I order a case at a time.
But there are other brands that are nearly as good in a pinch.
I'll most likely try a cake with it but not for another 2 weeks. I'm booked until then.
I made these cupcakes where I infused Arbor Mist Exotic Fruits Wine in the buttercream frosting--wasn't overpowering at all! 
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Very cool! i still have to try the moscato in a cake.
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