We had the pleasure of attending a seminar called Italy in 6 glasses. It was presented by Linda Bramble, a local wine expert, and featured a virtual tour of Italy and a tasting of wines from 6 different areas of Italy. It was fun and informative, but I found out I really am not a fan of dry wines. Give me a dessert wine anyday!
For the occasion I made these Ice Wine Cupcakes, a lightly spiced apricot cupake with ice wine frosting. We are fortunate to live in “wine country” and this wonderful dessert wine is plentiful. If you are not familiar with icewine, it is made from grapes that are left on the vine after the harvest season and are picked on the coldest days of the winter creating an incredibly sweet fruit. A little goes a very long way, and it is wonderful over ice cream. The frosting for this cupcake has just a hint of ice wine, but you can really taste the sweet grape flavor.
To make the cake, in bowl of electric mixer (or use a hand mixer) cream the 1/4 lb butter, add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add 3 whole eggs and beat until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Add this mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix approximately 2 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup apricote perserves and 1/4 buttermilk.
Scoop into 24 lined muffin tins. I use an ice cream scoop for even distribution of the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
For frosting, beat together 1 cup of butter and 4 cups confectioners sugar and 1/2 cup milk beat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tbsp ice wine and 1 additional cup of icing sugar and continue beating for another 1 minutes. Add 2 more cups of icing sugar, one at a time and beating 1 minute between additions.
Frost cupcakes when cool using a star tip or even just swirling with a spatula! Sprinkle with course sugar.
Enjoy!
Tune in tomorrow for…cheddar cheese biscuits.
Ice Wine Cupcakes (Apricot cupcakes with icewine frosting)
- 1/4 lb butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking poweder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
- Creamthe butter and ad the sugar continuing to beat until fluffy.
- Add eggs and continue beating until well incorporated.
- Sift together dry ingredients and add to butter/sugar mixture.
- Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add preserves and buttermilk and mix on low speed until combined.
- Fill each of 24 muffin tins using to approximately 3/4 full.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking after the first 15 minutes.
- Cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Kati says
Your friend does some excellent photography. I might have to try those cupcakes. Apricot sounds so good. I would have to change the icing though since we don’t consume wine in this house. I bet buttercream would be good on these, too though.
Maureen says
Katie, I think substituting the icewine with some maple syrup would make a nice frosting for this cupcake as well!
Kati says
Mmm…that’s an idea! Thanks for the suggestion.
Anna says
These look/sound delicious!!!
Apricots are some of my favorite fruits, but I never thought to use them in a cupcake recipe…I’ll have to try it!
Thumbs up to Heather, too!
đ Anna
Heather says
Thank you Ladies for your kind words.