Red wine buttercream is sweet and rich, capturing the complex flavors of your favorite red wine — a perfect topping for gluten-free chocolate cupcakes.
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Red, Red, Red Wine
Red wine is more than a drink — it adds depth and richness to many dishes. I often use it to deglaze pans or to make reductions that concentrate its flavor. While I don’t always reach for a glass, red wine is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with because it brings a bold, mature note to sweets and savory recipes alike.
Red Wine Buttercream
I usually prefer cream cheese frosting for its tang and subtler sweetness, and I’ve shared a recipe for gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing before. Those are wonderful, but I wanted to elevate the cupcakes into something a little more sophisticated. Red wine buttercream does exactly that — it transforms a childhood favorite into a grown-up treat. The concentrated wine reduction gives the frosting a punch of flavor that pairs beautifully with chocolate.
The key is reducing the wine until it becomes a syrupy concentrate. This locks in the wine’s flavors so a small amount delivers a big impact in the frosting.
I brought a plate of these cupcakes to a MOPS meeting and they were a huge hit. The chocolate cupcakes are delicious on their own, but with the red wine buttercream on top they’re heavenly.
Recipe Notes
Red Wine
Choose a red wine you enjoy drinking. The reduction concentrates the wine’s flavors, so any qualities you like in the bottle will be intensified in the buttercream. If the wine is fruity or slightly sweet, those notes will carry through.
Gluten Free Flour
Use your preferred gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Avoid bean-based flours for best texture. The recipe works well with standard gluten-free blends designed as one-to-one substitutes.
Chocolate Chips
I like folding chocolate chips into the cupcake batter for extra pockets of chocolate. Bittersweet chips add depth without extra sweetness and pair nicely with the wine-flavored frosting. Dairy-free, gluten-free chips are a good option if you need to keep the cupcakes dairy-free.
Dairy Free
The cupcake batter in this recipe is dairy-free when made with coconut oil, but the buttercream is made with butter. If you prefer a dairy-free frosting, you can try a suitable vegan butter or shortening. I haven’t fully tested it with margarine-style baking sticks, but past attempts with shortening show it can work; using a high-quality vegan butter substitute should produce good results.
What’s your favorite type of cupcake?
Print Recipe
Red Wine Buttercream with Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Red Wine Buttercream
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup softened butter
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup gluten free cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten free espresso powder optional
- 1/4 cup gluten free mini chocolate chips I use Enjoy Life — gluten and dairy free
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Red Wine Buttercream
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Bring the red wine to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it reduces to about 2–3 tablespoons. This usually takes 15–20 minutes.
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Chill the reduced wine in the refrigerator until completely cool.
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Beat the softened butter until smooth.
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Add powdered sugar and beat until combined and fluffy.
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Beat in the cooled reduced red wine until the buttercream is evenly colored and flavored.
Chocolate Cupcakes
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Whisk together the dry ingredients until evenly combined.
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Add the wet ingredients and stir until smooth and well combined.
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Fold in the chocolate chips gently.
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Scoop batter into a prepared muffin tin using a 1/4-cup measuring cup for each cupcake.
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Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
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Frost the cooled cupcakes with the red wine buttercream and serve.