Champagne Frosting

There are few things more celebratory than a glass of bubbly Champagne but the sparkly beverage also adds a kick to baked goods. That’s what inspired me to make this gorgeous Champagne frosting.

While this frosting isn’t bubbly, it’s brimming with Champagne flavor and is perfect for all sorts of occasions from bridal showers to holidays. You can even add a little orange juice or zest to the frosting to make some mimosa cupcakes for a special brunch.

If you’re feeling like making a cupcake to match the frosting, you can add the bubbly beverage to cupcake batter, too, to make Champagne cupcakes for an extra elegant treat for New Years Eve or any other occasion.

The next time you’re looking to upgrade your cupcake game, try this incredibly easy Champagne frosting recipe.

Common Questions about Champagne Frosting

Can you get drunk from Champagne frosting?

You’d likely have to eat all of the frosting on your own in a very short period of time to even get close to tipsy, so it’s pretty unlikely. That said, there is no heat involved in this recipe so the alcohol in the Champagne does remain in it, making it unsuitable for children, non-drinkers, and those who are pregnant.

Should I refrigerate my cake or cupcakes before frosting?

While you do not need to refrigerate them, you do need to cool cupcakes and cakes to room temperature before frosting. Spreading creamy frosting on a warm baked good can result in a melty mess.

Can I decorate my cake or cupcakes ahead of time?

You can definitely spread or pipe frosting on cupcakes ahead of time if you plan to store them in an airtight container. For them to have a fresh taste and texture, it’s generally ideal to serve them within two days, though the average cake will last up to 4 days.

Making Champagne Frosting Ahead of Time

You can make frosting ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. If you are piping it, the firmness from being refrigerated will be perfect — if you’re spreading with a spatula, you may want to allow it to come closer to room temperature.

Storage

Champagne frosting is easy to store in the fridge or freezer. Just be sure it’s covered with plastic wrap or in a sealed storage container.

Refrigerator: Store Champagne frosting in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Freezing: Frosting can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Tips For The Best Champagne Frosting

This is a relatively easy recipe but there are a few tips that can guarantee you wind up with a delicious dessert.

• Ensure that you use room temperature ingredients. This will make mixing easier so that all ingredients are completely incorporated.
• As a general rule, when you cook or bake with alcohol, choose a variety that you enjoy drinking. You don’t need to buy an expensive Champagne, but you should like the flavor enough that you’ll appreciate it shining through in the final product.
• Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly. The confectioner’s sugar gives the frosting its silky smooth texture so it’s important that it’s completely mixed into the butter.
• If you plan to pipe the frosting onto cupcakes, you can store it in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Then just snip the corner of the bag off and pipe it onto your cupcakes instead of using a piping bag.

Ingredients

Just three simple ingredients are necessary to make this easy frosting.

• Unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Dry Champagne or any kind of Champagne that you prefer (room temperature)

Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need 

You can make this frosting with only a few supplies, making cleanup quick and easy.

• Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer)
• Large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula

How to Make Champagne Frosting

1. Add the butter to a large bowl of a stand mixer (or use an electric mixer).
2. Beat the butter on high speed until it’s airy and fluffy.
3. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually pour in the confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) in intervals. Be sure to incorporate all of the sugar before adding more to the mixture.
4. Once the sugar is mostly incorporated and you’re confident that it will remain in the bowl at a higher speed, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue to mix.
5. Once the mixture is well-whipped, reduce the speed to low and slowly pour the Champagne into the frosting.
6. Once all of the Champagne has been added, turn the mixer to medium speed, mixing until all of the Champagne is incorporated and the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to incorporate all ingredients.

What to Serve With Champagne Frosting

There are plenty of options for serving this simple frosting.

• New Year’s Cupcakes – Champagne frosting is the perfect festive way to frost your cupcakes for New Year’s Eve. Just make your favorite flavored cupcakes — from vanilla to chocolate cupcakes, or even red velvet cupcakes — and pipe this on top. 
• Cocktail rim – Gently rim glasses with this delicately flavored frosting. Leave it all on its own or then dip in sparkly garnishes like small sugar pearls or edible gold flakes.
• Cake – Make enough to frost an entire cake of any flavor.
• Sugar cookies – Spread frosting over top of the cookies and garnish with sugar pearls or sparkly sprinkles.
• Graham crackers and cookies – Make the frosting a bit thinner and serve as a dip to go with small cookies or graham crackers. You can also spread it on either and top with another cookie or cracker to make sweet frosting sandwiches.
• Fruit – Thin the frosting out to make a sweet dip to go with your favorite fresh or dried fruit.
• Doughnuts – Spread this over homemade doughnuts for a decadent dessert or slightly boozy brunch treat.
• Ice cream – Elevate a scoop of ice cream by topping it with a dollop of this.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

There are far more reasons to make this recipe than not to, especially for special occasions like NYE, wedding showers, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day.

• Easy – This is an easy recipe with super simple and straightforward steps.
• Elegant – Nothing says it’s a special occasion like Champagne — it’s a perfect way to elevate your dessert. 
• Quick – There are so few ingredients that it takes just a few minutes to whip up this frosting.
• Versatile – While cupcakes are an obvious candidate for pairing with frosting, you can upgrade lots of other desserts, too.

Variations and Add-ins

This frosting is the perfect canvas for customizing.

• Sparkling wine – Instead of using real Champagne, choose a sparkling wine. Prosecco, cava, and any other bubbly wines will work — just always choose one that you’d drink on its own as well. 
• Sparkling cider – If you want a non-alcoholic version of this, try swapping out real Champagne for a sparkling cider that you can find in the juice aisle at the grocery store. 
• Mini chocolate chips – Try using white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate chips to add more sweet flavor and a touch of texture.
• Sprinkles – Silver or gold sprinkles jazz up this fancy frosting.
• Alternative sweeteners – To lower the sugar and carb count, use your favorite alternative sweetener. 
• Food coloring – Add food dye to make the color of the frosting specific to the occasion.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla tends to bring out the flavors of other ingredients so you can add a small amount to round out the flavors. You can also use almond extract for a nutty flavor.
• Champagne – If you want more Champagne flavor, add an additional amount — slowly add a few tablespoons of champagne to the mixture until it has the strength and flavor you want. Depending on your desired consistency, you may need to increase the confectioners’ sugar.
• Zest – To add bright flavor, try adding the zest of citrus fruit. Lemon, lime, or orange zest all work.
• Salt – Try adding just a pinch of salt to to round out the flavors and bring just a touch of saltiness to the sweet flavor.
• Decorator’s sugar – Choose any color to add some sparkle and shine atop the frosting.

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If you love this easy Champagne Frosting recipe, you’re going to love these other frosting flavors too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

Other Special Occasion Treats

Cranberry Cupcakes

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

Chocolate Macarons

Birthday Cheesecake

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