📋 Chocolate Red Wine Cupcake Recipe
These Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes are quick and easy to make from a box mix, but taste homemade! These red wine cupcakes are a delicious treat any time of the year, especially for the wine lover in your life! And these cupcakes are ideal for Valentine's Day, a girl's nights, birthday, a Galentine's Day celebration, Mother's Day or any special occasion!
Servings 24 cupcakes
Calories 94kcal
Ingredients
- 15 oz - box of chocolate cake mix * I use Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix
- ¾ cup red wine
- ½ cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C and line 2 - 12 muffins tins with liners.
- Add cake mix (dry), eggs, milk, instant coffee, vegetable oil and red wine to a large bowl and mix on low for 20 seconds.15 oz - box of chocolate cake mix, ¾ cup red wine, ½ cup milk, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoon instant coffee granules, ½ cup vegetable oil
- Turn mixer up to medium speed and beat for another 30- 45 seconds, or until fully incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. If you're using manual beaters, beat for 2 minutes. *If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Pour batter/chocolate mixture into lined cupcake tins, dividing the batter evenly between all 24.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool in tins for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.
- Once cooled, add frosting to the top of the cupcakes with your favorite icing (with a piping bag), and sprinkles, if you desire. I recommend my Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting and mixed heart sprinkles- this frosting is the perfect pairing for this cupcake and also quick and easy to make! (https://foodmeanderings.com/strawberry-whipped-cream-frosting-with-jam/)
Notes
Expert Recipe Tips:
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- Only fill the cupcake liners up to ⅔ - ¾ full (at most). If you overfill them they will bake up too high and spill over the muffin tins.
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- Don't Skip the Coffee. Instant coffee granules intensify the chocolate flavor without adding a strong coffee taste. If you're worried about caffeine, use decaf coffee granules.
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- Use a cake tester. A cake tester (affiliate links) is the best way to check for doneness. It should come out clean when the cupcakes are ready.
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- Pair with the Right Frosting: These cupcakes pair beautifully with fruit-flavored frostings like Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting or classic chocolate frosting. The fruity or rich flavors complement the wine undertones.
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- Enhance Presentation: Top the frosted cupcakes with heart-shaped sprinkles, shaved chocolate, or a fresh strawberry for an elegant touch, especially for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or Galentine's Day.
- Diary-free - you can use water instead of milk or dairy-free milk and a dairy-free cake mix. *Find out which cakes mixes are dairy-free HERE
- Milk - you can use whole milk or 2% milk instead of 1%
- Gluten-free - use a gluten-free cake mix
- Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes - Use a dark chocolate box mix
- Red Wine- bold dry red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, or Merlot work best with this recipe
- Kid-friendly - use non-alcoholic red wine (I recommend Leitz Pinot Noir) and decaffeinated coffee. You can also try grape juice with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar for a similar flavor profile.
- Add-ins- add in a cup of chocolate chips for and extra chocolatey cupcake!
- Frosting - These cupcakes are ideal with any frosting, but I especially love them with my Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting (with jam). But they are also superb with my Chocolate Frosting (without butter). You could also use a cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
