Homemade champagne frosting is a delightfully spiked and sparkly addition to any dessert. Reduce champagne on the stovetop for intensified flavor.
Look up the term “fancy” in the dictionary. I bet you’ll find a photo of this champagne frosting. 
This party-perfect buttercream brings a level of luxury to any dessert it touches. It’s creamy and silky soft with a light champagne flavor. Champagne buttercream is perfect for any and all celebrations including:
This party-perfect buttercream brings a level of luxury to any dessert it touches. It’s creamy and silky soft with a light champagne flavor. Champagne buttercream is perfect for any and all celebrations including:- birthdays
- engagements
- bridal showers
- weddings
- anniversaries
- new year’s eve
- job promotions
Or just a casual night in! Champagne is acceptable any day, right?
How to Make Champagne Frosting
This is a very simple and straightforward American style buttercream. The frosting begins with a vanilla buttercream base: butter + confectioners’ sugar. To that, we’ll add champagne and vanilla extract. But we need to reduce down the champagne on the stove before adding it. Why? Reducing the champagne packs an intense amount of flavor into a smaller amount of champagne. We can’t overload our frosting with liquid because that would thin it out. Rather, we will add a small amount of *extreme* champagne flavor. I learned this trick from Wicked Good Kitchen. 
Do you see this next photo? Left = champagne. Right = reduced and highly concentrated champagne. Look at the color difference! The champagne reduction has a lot more flavor and won’t ruin the texture of the buttercream.
My #1 Tip
Make sure the reduced champagne is cool or room temperature– NOT hot. If the champagne reduction is hot, it will melt the butter in your frosting, which creates the worst frosting experience your bowl (and eyes) will ever see. Curdled buttercream? Yep.
What Type of Champagne Do I Use in Frosting?
Use any kind of champagne or sparkling wine in this frosting. If you like how it tastes out of the bottle, you’ll like how it tastes in this champagne buttercream frosting. I’ve tried the recipe with dozens of different sparkling wines, including prosecco, and each has been fantastic.
What Tastes Best with Champagne Frosting?
In addition to mimosa cupcakes and wedding cupcakes, it adds a little something extra to:
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Angel Food Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Confetti Cupcakes
- White Wedding Cupcakes
- Lemon Cake
- Vanilla Cake
- Strawberry Cake
- White Layer Cake
How to Create Intense Champagne Flavor
Reduce champagne on the stovetop before adding to the frosting. Reducing the champagne packs an intense amount of flavor into a smaller amount of liquid. Excess liquid would ruin the frosting.
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PINDescription
Homemade champagne frosting is a delightfully spiked and sparkly addition to any dessert such as vanilla cupcakes or white cake. Reduce champagne on the stovetop for intensified flavor.
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180ml) champagne or sparkling wine (use your favorite)
- 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480ml) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the champagne to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer until reduced down to 1/4 cup, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. You want it room temperature or cold.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low at first then increasing to high speed. Once incorporated, add the next cup. Once creamy and combined, beat in 3 Tablespoons of the reduced champagne and the vanilla extract. Taste. Add the remaining reduced champagne if needed, then a pinch of salt if you’d like.
- Frosting can be made 2 days in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze frosting for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then beat on medium speed with 1-2 Tablespoons of milk to smooth it out before using.
- After you reduce the champagne, make sure it cools to room temperature. Why? Because it will melt the butter in your frosting! Whenever I make champagne frosting, I reduce down the champagne once the cake or cupcakes come out of the oven. That way the champagne can cool down as the cake cools down.
- This recipe is enough to frost 14-15 cupcakes, 32-36 mini cupcakes, or one 2 layer cake.
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