IMG_1337

I’d like to make a toast.

You see…

My mom is pretty rockstar.

The kind of mom who will talk to you on the phone for over an hour, about nothing even! (But mostly about family gossip.  She’ll never admit it.  But that woman loves to gossip.  I can’t imagine where I get it from…)  And then say, “okay but call me later, alright?”

IMG_1342

She feigns shock and appall when you tell her you’re staying at your boyfriend’s place on a Monday night….when she, in fact, is the one who let you and your high school boyfriend sleep on your living room floor together. Alone. The night after prom.

I admittedly occasionally wonder about her moral values.  And whether or not her desire for grandchildren, like, yesterday, actually does transcend all reason.

IMG_1344

She wakes up at ungodly hours to watch you run marathons and half marathons.

Doesn’t tell you to stop running even when you fracture your pelvis – not once, but twice in the course of two years because she knows it’s your oxygen.

And tells you you look like you lost weight every time you go home even when that is the farthest thing from the truth.

She drinks coffee at eleven pm and then falls asleep at the kitchen table mid-cup.

For the over five years now that her in-laws have lived across the street, she made sure they took their medication. Day and night.  She learned how to give my grandfather his insulin shots.  And works tirelessly to make sure that even with severe dementia, they stay safe.

Yes, she is an angel.  A godsend.

And I couldn’t breathe without her.

IMG_1349

So to her, I raise a cupcake.

She’s much more of a red wine drinker than I am (as in, her and my father finish off a bottle. Nightly.)

But since I can’t tell a bottle of chianti from a bottle of merlot, I thought I’d stick to what I know.

And if there’s one thing I’m fluent in.  It’s buttercream.

This buttercream, in particular, is infused with a red wine reduction that makes it fruity, tart and oh so dreamy.  Just the kind of thing my mother would love.

So here’s to you, mom.

Happy mother’s day!

IMG_1321

Red Wine Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes, adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red wine (I used Bordeaux so it would be extra fruity) plus 2 tbsp, divided
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 sticks butter, softened (NOT room temp, should still be a bit cold)
  • 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Place 1 cup red wine and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the mixture has reduced to a scant 1/3 cup.  Allow to cool completely.  (I did this the night before and left the syrup in the fridge to chill.)
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and confectioner’s sugar.  Mix on low speed at first, gradually increasing to high until powdered sugar gets incorporated (otherwise you’ll have a major white powdery mess. Everywhere.).  Whisk until fluffy.  With the mixer running, carefully pour in the cooled wine reduction.  Add salt and beat well until combined, scraping down the bowl if necessary.
  3. With the mixer running, pour in the 2 tbsp of wine, one tbsp at a time, until thoroughly mixed.  Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost cupcakes.

IMG_1352

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
blog_share_subscribe
Share →

102 Responses to Red Wine Buttercream Frosting

  1. You are so cute, love this post and now I need to meet your mom:-) Also love this buttercream!

  2. Lovely cupcakes and lovely tribute to your mom!

  3. Awwww, this is so nice! Lovely! Your mom sounds wonderful 🙂

  4. Sarah Toasty says:

    so cute! must try this, any excuse to buy more wine!

  5. Debbie says:

    Oh I love that post. So sweet and I think your mom sounds wonderful. Lucky mom and lucky daughter!!!!

  6. Simply Life says:

    oh so sweet! I have a feeling I could hang out with your parents and a bottle of red wine and these cupcakes and have quite a fun night 🙂

  7. Hotly Spiced says:

    You are blessed to have such a wonderful, supportive and loving mother. I love your tribute to your mum and these cupcakes with their divine red wine colour are just gorgeous. xx

  8. Your mother sounds like a charm! I laughed out loud thinking about how funny it would be to see my mom drinking late night coffee and falling asleep mid-cup. I love these cupcakes too. So creative!

  9. Your mom is a lucky woman because you are a fabulous daughter. And I’m not just saying that because you made these rockin’ cupcakes, but because you are truly wonderful.

  10. Lynn says:

    Your mom sounds delightful. And I think her daughter takes after her.

    Marvelous looking cupcakes!

  11. Christina says:

    I loved reading about your mom! She sounds wonderful.

    I haven’t thought about putting wine in frosting before. I bet champagne would work, too!

  12. Beth says:

    What a beautiful tribute to your mom! I always think that those of us with good mothers truly won the lottery of life. Enjoy Mother’s Day weekend with your dear mother.

  13. Oh, I love what you said about your Mom, that is so sweet. I bet your Mom cried when she read it!

    Your cupcakes are beautiful!

  14. OohLookBel says:

    Your mother sounds adorable! I’m sure she knows she’s appreciated and would love these lovely winey cupcakes.

  15. Amy says:

    “And if there’s one thing I’m fluent in. It’s buttercream.” Yes. You. Do. What a sweet tribute to your mom. No matter how old we get, we still need them. They are irreplaceable, no? Like frosting.

  16. Josie says:

    Such a sweet post! Buttercream is a wonderful thing to be fluent it 🙂 And I can’t wait to try this frosting. Seriously yum.

  17. Margarita says:

    Red wine buttercream frosting sounds amazing! perfect for a rockstar mom!

  18. Victoria says:

    I think your mom is awesome! In fact, your whole family is pretty badass 😀 So is this recipe. It’s on my list for upcoming desserts to try! Miss you, my sweet! xo

  19. wow look at that color!
    what a sweet post Joanne.
    you are blessed to have her <3

  20. What a sweet and special post! This buttercream looks very delicious!

  21. marie says:

    Your pictures are mouthwatering, and what a sweet tribute to your mom.

  22. Lora says:

    Awww lovely post to your mom. What a gorgeous buttercream!

  23. MM says:

    Great post, Joanne. Your mom is awesome! She deserves some red wine buttercream frosting in her life.

  24. MM says:

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  25. Deborah says:

    Oh, your mom does sound like a rockstar!!

  26. Danielle says:

    What a sweet post – I love the dish you have it on.

  27. london bakes says:

    Your mum sounds pretty darn amazing! Definitely worthy of these amazing cupcakes!

  28. Jenna says:

    Loved this portrait of your mom!! I will raise a cupcake to her too.

  29. Megan says:

    What a sweet tribute to your mom. I could definitely get behind some chocolate cupcakes with this frosting.

  30. I want to eat all that frosting! What a lovely post for your mom 🙂

  31. Suzi says:

    What a wonderful post and tribute to your Mom. She sounds like grand lady. Beautiful cupcakes and cheers to you both.

  32. Love the frosting and the texture and color of it 🙂

  33. What a creative idea! Plus, it will give me an excuse to drink the rest of the bottle!

  34. Wow! What an amazing idea! Can I ask what kind of chocolate cupcake you used??? Just a standard recipe, or did you use something special???

  35. Joanne I love this post! Your mom sounds awesome 🙂

  36. Claudia says:

    Buttercream scares me. But since you put red wine in it… I must give it a think. And it looks delicious. And your Mom doesn’t need a gift after that gorgeous post! (But get her one.)

  37. I’m trying to figure out a suitable dessert for my mom, and she LOVES wine… but white wine. I wonder if I could adjust this to moscato, hmm…

  38. Your mom sounds wonderful. I smile because my daughter’s prom is next month and I am not sure how rockstar I could be! What a gorgeous cupcake, perfect for a very special mom.

  39. This is so cute and perfect for your lovely mum – that frosting is such an awesome colour 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  40. Aw, what a beautiful post this is! I love it. And that cupcake looks so perfectly decadent. The color from the wine is stunning…so velvety and seductive. YUMMY.

  41. Jenn Kendall says:

    red wine in frosting? amazingly genius idea! i totally need to try these!!

  42. Your mom does sound like a rockstar – as does this frosting!!

  43. JoJo says:

    I think this would be enjoyed by many, not just your mom!!
    I LOVE the colors!

  44. Mo 'Betta says:

    What an excellent post! I love it and I’m sure your mom does too 🙂 And this butter cream sounds phenomenal!

  45. Nina says:

    Awww they look so beautiful. Using red wine is a great idea. Am sure your mom wud have loved this one:)

  46. These would be perfect for my mom too! She is quite a red wine drinker (not that I’m not…). And moms do like to gossip, don’t they?

  47. Ranjani says:

    Booze in baked goods is the best! This frosting sounds awesome

  48. Gloria says:

    beautiful post and your mom is amaxing and this revipe is absolutely nice, love it:))

  49. I am SOOOOO trying this frosting. Sounds delish!!!

  50. Katie says:

    What an adorable tribute to your mom! I love it. This frosting is just out of control. I’ve never imagined a red wine reduction in frosting but it sounds delightful.

  51. Kristen says:

    Awww what a sweet post! Your mom sounds a LOT like my mom. She’ll talk to me for hours and hours about absolutely nothing and often falls asleep mid-sentence because she’s so busy staying up until 2 am every night doing who knows what, but I love her to death. Oh and by the way, this red wine buttercream would be awesome on my red wine chocolate cake http://mindyourbeesandtrees.com/2012/03/16/red-wine-chocolate-cake-for-our-anniversary/ 🙂 Just saying!

  52. Candace says:

    Aw, this was the sweetest post! Love everything about it.

  53. Ruth Daniels says:

    Lovely, lovely post – the words AND those gorgeous cupcakes.

  54. Carolyn Jung says:

    I think I could be happy piping the frosting into a wine glass, then eating it slowly and surely with a spoon. 😉

  55. Aw, how sweet 🙂 So nice that you and your mama are close! Have a great Mother’s Day with her. And YUM to those cupcakes…

  56. What a sweet tribute to your mother–I hope she got to enjoy some of these gorgeous cupcakes you made in her honor! They are so pretty.

  57. Yasmeen says:

    Joanne, you’ve done it again. This is so lovely. And what a lovely note about your mother – I feel the same way about my mom. Such an intense and sweet bond.

  58. love2dine says:

    what a marvelous cupcake

  59. Wow! What an amazing looking cupcake. I will definitely keep this in mind for my 21st birthday coming up–definitely a new way to have that “first drink.”

  60. Mommas are such silly people, that’s why we love them so much. Just like how I love this RED WINE buttercream FROSTING. O-M-G

  61. grace says:

    you couldn’t breathe without her? i got some goosebumps right then. i love the idea of a red wine buttercream, but i love my mamster even more. 🙂

  62. I love Heather’s recipes. At first, I thought…red wine buttercream? Then again, I could never imagine that Guiness Stout would taste fantastic with chocolate. So, I’m trainable. Sweet thoughts on your mom. You’re lucky to have her. Mine’s ten years gone, but she was quite a woman. Happy Mother’s Day to her.

  63. That Girl says:

    Awww Happy Mother’s Day to your mom!

  64. Catherine says:

    Dear Joanne, You had me in tears. This is a beautiful Mother’s Day tribute, with delicious cupcakes. Happy Mother’s day to your mom. Blessings dearest. Catherine xoxo

  65. FramedCooks says:

    One of the best Mother’s Day posts ever! Happy, happy Mother’s Day to your mom and to you! Cupcakes sound like the perfect way to celebrate…especially these cupcakes.

  66. Geni says:

    Is it weird that first I noticed those cute dishes with the silver circles Joanne? The red wine buttercream looks so dreamy. Your mom should be very grateful to have such a fabulous baker for a daughter and one that seems to know her way around a very decadent cupcake. What a very sweet post! Daughters are amazing. They say the sweetest things and seem to understand how much we do. I’m sure your mom will be teary eyed from this post.

  67. Elizabeth says:

    You’re a much better daughter than me – I’m pretty sure mine is stunned if I remember to send a card in reasonable proximity to mother’s day. These really do look delicious, by the way.

  68. Miriam says:

    Aww, that is so sweet!! The frosting sounds divine :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

  69. Awwww your mom sounds like such an amazing person. Happy Mother’s Day! And yes, that frosting looks freaking orgasmic.

  70. Cathleen says:

    Aw, this is so great! Your mom sounds like a superstar. To moms!
    There is almost nothing that looks better than the pictures on your blog. I think you also deserve a toast for that.

  71. Erica says:

    Wow! I am drooling here, Joanne!The frosting looks amazing!

  72. Chris says:

    Nice tribute for Mothers’ Day, Joanne. Speaking of Mothers’ Day, when are those grandkids coming along? (sorry, your mom told me to ask that 😉 🙂 =)) )

  73. Dear Joanne, what a beautiful tribute to your Mother!! I love this post, the cupcakes look beautiful…like little roses! And the buttercream sounds amazing.
    Happy Mother’s Day to your mom! I hope you and your family have a beautiful day!

    Toodles,
    Tammy <3

  74. Kerstin says:

    Such a sweet post for your mom 🙂

    And what a unique frosting – looks delicious!

  75. I love the mom particulars, but most especially falling asleep at 11pm in the middle of a cup of coffee. Only moms! Happy M day to your mommy! Gar

  76. Reeni says:

    Such a sweet post! I don’t find it surprising that our moms have a lot in common. The buttercream IS dreamy! And kind of sinful. Happy Mother’s day to your and your Mom!

  77. What a wonderful tribute to your mother, Joanne, even though she REALLY does want grandchildren 🙂

    I’m not much of a frosting person, but I would love to taste this one!

  78. beti says:

    I can’t wait to try this buttercream frosting, it’s a great recipe for your mom!

  79. Johanna GGG says:

    I can’t believe you had wine in your frosting! That is bold! But it sounds like you come from a family that is bold and colourful so it fits! Love hearing about what a mother your angel is (oops I think I got that wrong) – hope you and your family had a lovely mothers day

  80. daphne says:

    awww.. how sweet! so lovely to hear that about your mum and what a fab idea to add red wine to frosting!

  81. sally says:

    What a nice post about you mother! I hope she enjoyed those cupcakes.

  82. Chaya says:

    You touch the heart. Thanks for sharing and for the pretty color frosting.

  83. Juliana says:

    Joanne, I couldn’t not leave a note on your post…so nice about your mom…and the cupcakes look so pretty and flavorful with wine buttercream frosting…
    Thanks for this fun post and hope you have a great week ahead 🙂

  84. Jay says:

    wow…the cake looks incredibly goooooood..
    lovely post..:)
    Tasty Appetite

  85. Red wine in desserts is one of my favorite combos!

  86. Karen says:

    Nice tribute to your mom… any recipe that has red wine in it grabs my attention!

  87. Wonderful idea it must taste great. and your Mum sounds awesome

  88. What a lovely tribute to your mom! Your cupcakes are gorgeous, and I think your frosting is such an innovative and delicious idea! I hope to give it a try very soon. I feel the same way about red wine that your mom does 🙂

  89. Shannon says:

    sounds like your mom is a keeper 😉 what a delicious frosting!

  90. Denny A. says:

    Just imagining the flavor is quite intriguing. Only one way to find out, off to the store I go. Great frosting idea. Thanks for sharing.

  91. Dimple says:

    Your blessed to have such a sweet mom. what a great mother’s day gift for her. :)those cupcakes look divine!

  92. This looks absolutely yummy!

  93. 5 Tips to a flat stomach
    ———————————-

    There are long lasting ways to get the amazing middle you crave. These genius tips
    Will help you shed inches and pounds, banish the bloat, And feel even more gorgeous.
    we have very best advice for quickly shrinking your tummy. Here are the surprising
    Hello, skinny jeans! Stop making these 5 Major mistakes and you will finally lose your stubborn belly fat
    http://juicyabs.com
    http://www.facebook.com/5TipsToAFlatStomach?skip_nax_wizard=true

  94. I made this for my cousin’s bridal shower this past weekend, and it was AMAZING. So, so good. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe, Joanne!

  95. […] WINE-BLACKBERRY FROSTING Original proportions for the frosting adapted from this recipe, but I had fun adding my own […]

  96. […] below is just enough to frost 24 cupcakes.  Recipe from Joanne at “Eats well with others”  which I tweaked a bit just because I used a different kind of […]

  97. Bethany Binkley says:

    I found this post on a Pinterest search for red wine buttercream. What a lovely, heartwarming tribute to your mom. I just finished this recipe to accompany a vegan chocolate cake tonight, and it tastes amazing! All the lovely tartness of a raspberry buttercream, with a depth that can only come from wine. I found that chilling my mixture halfway through the syrup-adding process helped keep it fluffy. Thank you for this recipe!

  98. lass says:

    How much is a “stick”? That’s not a unit of measure…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *