Grape Soda Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Fluffy purple cupcakes infused with grape soda and topped with tangy grape buttercream frosting.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 2/3 cup grape soda

→ Color and Flavor

09 - 1/4 teaspoon grape extract or flavoring (optional)
10 - Purple food coloring (optional)

→ Grape Buttercream

11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2-3 tablespoons grape soda
14 - 1/4 teaspoon grape extract or flavoring (optional)
15 - Purple food coloring (optional)
16 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until incorporated.
05 - Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with grape soda. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Stir in grape extract if using. Add purple food coloring a few drops at a time until desired color is achieved.
07 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
10 - Add 2 tablespoons grape soda, grape extract if using, and pinch of salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add more grape soda 1 teaspoon at a time if needed for proper consistency.
11 - Mix in purple food coloring until desired shade is reached.
12 - Frost cooled cupcakes with grape buttercream. Decorate with grape candies or sprinkles if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cupcakes stay incredibly moist because the grape soda creates tender pockets of steam while baking
  • People cannot figure out what makes them taste so grapey until you tell them your secret ingredient
  • The buttercream frosting gets an authentic grape flavor and naturally purple hue from the same soda
02 -
  • The carbonation in grape soda loses its fizz quickly so measure it right before adding it to the batter
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together smoothly and prevent the batter from curdling
  • Overmixing the flour mixture makes tough cupcakes so stop as soon as everything is combined
03 -
  • Let the grape soda go flat for 10 minutes before using it to prevent too much air in the batter
  • Chill your frosted cupcakes for 15 minutes after decorating to help the buttercream set before serving

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