Red Wine and Chocolate Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe is actually just a variation on a cake recipe I posted earlier. I used cupcake pans instead of cake pans (remember to adjust the baking time; cupcakes bake faster than cakes, usually about 15-50 minutes). I was going for a chocolate-and-wine flavor, so I replaced the hot coffee with heated red wine instead. I don’t think it matters what wine you use; my default for baking is a Yellow Tail merlot or shiraz, but it’s up to you.

 The one major difference is the choice of frosting. I did some research on various food blogs to see if a red wine frosting was possible, and deducted some basic instructions (see below). What surprised me most was the frosting’s flavor:  it didn’t really taste like wine at all, but more like some unidentifiable berry. This may be because I used a fruitier wine, and a drier wine might provide a more wine- or grape-like flavor. If you experiment, let me know in the comment section how it goes!

Red Wine Frosting 
1. Boil at least 2 C red wine into a syrup (add a little sugar).

2. Cool syrup completely.

3. Begin a basic buttercream (use your favorite recipe).

4. Add red wine syrup in small batches. You will probably need to add less liquid to your frosting recipe than usual. You may not use all the syrup you have made.

5. Adjust and mix until the flavor and texture suit you.