Decadent Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes Recipe

Name: Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 15.25 ounces Box chocolate cake mix; ¾ Cup red wine; ¼ Cup milk; ¼ Cup chocolate (melted); 3 Tbsp cocoa powder; ⅓ Cup butter (melted); 3 Eggs; 2 Cups of the very best vanilla buttercream; ¼ Cup cocoa powder; ⅓ Cup melted chocolate; ½ Cup red wine

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

If you haven’t made this Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes recipe, the time is now. Moist and chocolatey, these boozy, red wine-infused cupcakes are a perfect easy dessert for girl’s nights in and festive holiday parties. And they start from boxed cake mix!

Wine infused cupcakes with chocolate frosting on a grey background. — Red wine and chocolate are a perfect pairing in these boozy cupcakes.

Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes are a must! Make some this weekend! You’re going to LOVE them!

Alcohol infused cupcakes are a fun and easy dessert idea that uses a boxed cake mix to keep things easy. These rich, adult-friendly cupcakes are sure to be a hit with your friends!

With the word “cupcakes” in my blog name, people have asked me for years if I’m a cupcake caterer. I’m not. But I do love eating cupcakes. They are the perfect cake-to-frosting ratio.

If you’re a regular reader, you know I love easy cocktails and wine. So it just made sense that I would start sharing boozy cupcake recipes!

Why This Recipe Works

Wine and cupcakes should always go together, in my opinion. There’s nothing like sitting back in a comfy chair with a good glass of wine and a decadent cupcake.

So why not put the two together? Rich chocolate cupcakes are spiked with red wine to create a delicious dessert that you’ll crave.

Red wine cupcakes make everything feel even more celebratory. And yet they are so simple to make!

Related: Fireball Cupcakes

And while it takes a few minutes to make the red wine reduction for the frosting, the flavor is totally worth it! Just be sure to plan ahead since you need to let it cool completely before adding to the recipe.

These chocolate red wine cupcakes make a perfect edible gift idea. Just place them in a box, wrap them nicely and voila! Trust me when I say that everyone will love to get them.

If you’re more into white wine, you can try Sangria Cupcakes or Prosecco Cupcakes instead.

Ingredients

Unfrosted red wine infused cupcakes with chocolate on a table.

For the Cupcakes

These cupcakes start with a classic chocolate cake mix then melted chocolate and cocoa powder is added so you get a moist, extra chocolatey taste with lots of character.

Milk, butter and eggs are added to make a quick batter.

But things really heat up when the red wine is added. It pairs perfectly with chocolate cupcakes. Pinot Noir is a great choice since it typically has tons of fruit notes in it. (See more about wine selection in the FAQs below).

For the Buttercream

I try to start all my flavored frostings with my basic vanilla buttercream recipe. It’s my FAVORITE!

To that, you will add cocoa powder, more melted chocolate and red wine.

Directions

Unfrosted Chocolate and Red Wine Cupcakes.

For the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a bowl, carefully mix the chocolate cake mix with cocoa powder.

Add the melted butter and melted chocolate.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating with a hand mixer (this one’s my favorite!) until incorporated.

Slowly add the red wine and milk and mix until everything is incorporated and there are no lumps left.

Divide the batter between the cupcake liners and put them in the oven.

Bake for 18 minutes or until done.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely before decorating.

Frosted red wine infused cupcakes on a grey background.

For the red wine buttercream

This red wine-infused buttercream is rich and delicious! By simmering the red wine, it creates a bold flavor that stands up to the chocolate really well.

In a saucepan over medium heat bring the red wine to a simmer.

Let it simmer until it has reduced in half.

Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

In a bowl combine the very best vanilla buttercream with cocoa powder.

Add the reduced red wine and mix.

Add the melted chocolate and mix with a hand mixer for 3 minutes.

Top down picture of frosted chocolate cupcakes.

A simple swirl of the frosting is all you need to finish off these boozy chocolate cupcakes.

Tips and Tricks

If you don’t have time to make the red wine reduction, you can just add the red wine, as is. You may not be able to taste it as much due to the chocolate.
To make these as efficient as possible, begin the red wine reduction as soon as you put the cupcakes in the oven.
If you have some leftover wine reduction, you can drizzle it over the top frosting or even add it into a pipette to add to the cupcakes.
To keep things even easier you can make the chocolate cake mix as written on the box and replace 3/4 cups of the liquid with red wine instead. The taste won’t be nearly as delicious but will work in a pinch!

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of red wine should I use?

Use a red wine that you like to drink on its own. Merlot, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon will all work really well. While it doesn’t have to be expensive, it should be of decent quality. You can read more about different red wines here.

How do you store these cupcakes?

You can store these red wine cupcakes in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes will stay fresh longer. If you can keep the frosting separately that is best.

Can these boozy cupcakes get me drunk?

There is alcohol in the wine that is baked in the cupcake batter. While there is science that shows that alcohol cooks out during baking, not all of it will. However, the amount of wine, that is spread through the batter should not be enough to get you drunk from eating a cupcake. There is also red wine in the frosting, which will increase the amount by a little more. Use your best judgment.

Festive chocolate red wine cupcakes on a table.

A few more easy cupcake recipes you might also enjoy!

Save this and Pin it for later!

If you want to save this recipe make sure you Pin it for later! If you are not already you can follow me on Pinterest, as well as keep up with me on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. If you make this recipe make sure to tag me in your photos and leave a star rating below!