Pink Champagne Buttercream
Looking for the perfect frosting to elevate your next celebration cake? This Pink Champagne Buttercream is a showstopper—rich, fluffy, and infused with real champagne flavor. Made with a homemade champagne reduction and a hint of cherry for natural color, this frosting is smooth, pipeable, and elegant enough for weddings, bridal showers, and birthday bakes. Whether you’re frosting cupcakes or filling macarons, this champagne buttercream frosting will have your guests swooning.
When I was still running my cake business, pink champagne buttercream became my signature flavor for bridal showers and engagement cakes. Clients always asked what gave it that soft blush color and delicate flavor. Little did they know the secret was reducing real champagne with a few cherries—no food coloring needed! This champagne buttercream frosting became my go-to for special occasions, and now I always keep a frozen batch on hand. It’s elegant, unique, and pipes beautifully even on a hot day.
Why you’ll love this frosting?
- Made with real champagne – The reduction enhances flavor without adding too much liquid.
- Naturally pink – Thanks to cherries in the reduction, no food coloring is required (but optional!).
- Pipes like a dream – Stiff enough for swirls, rosettes, or cake borders.
- Versatile and freezer-friendly – Make it ahead, store leftovers, or freeze for later use.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Champagne – Use a drinkable bottle! Don’t cook with something you wouldn’t enjoy sipping. You can substitute with sparkling wine or non-alcoholic champagne for a kid-friendly version.
- Cherries – Add subtle flavor and a natural blush hue. Frozen or fresh cherries work. You can skip them, but the color will be paler.
- Unsalted butter – Softened to room temp for easy whipping. Substitute with half shortening if you need more heat stability.
- Powdered sugar – Use cane sugar-based powdered sugar to avoid grainy texture.
- Champagne extract (optional) – Intensifies flavor. Great if you’re using sparkling wine or less reduction.
- Vanilla extract – Adds depth and balance.
- Pink food coloring (optional) – A few drops help boost the pink tone, especially if not using cherries.
Step-by-step: Pink champagne buttercream
1. Make the Champagne Reduction
- Slightly bruise the cherries.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the champagne and cherries.
- Simmer until reduced to about ⅓ of the original volume (about 15 minutes).
- Cover and set aside to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Reducing intensifies the champagne flavor while keeping the consistency thick and usable in frosting.
2. Make the Buttercream
- In a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy and pale—about 1 minute.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with the cooled champagne reduction.
- Whip on medium-high until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, salt, and champagne extract. Mix again until smooth.
- If needed, adjust consistency with a teaspoon of heavy cream or more champagne reduction (sparingly).
Pro Tip: Want to pipe firm swirls? Avoid adding too much liquid. Chill the frosting briefly if needed.
3. Color and Pipe
- Add pink gel coloring for a deeper hue (optional).
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe swirls onto cooled cupcakes or cakes.
Tips for Success
- Cool reduction completely before adding to butter—hot liquid will melt the butter and ruin texture.
- Whip well for a light, airy consistency.
- Use cherry reduction for a natural pink color—especially helpful if avoiding artificial coloring.
- Store leftovers in the fridge up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
- Stiffen with more sugar if needed for piping in warm conditions.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes! Any dry sparkling wine works well. Champagne just adds elegance and a subtle fruity finish.
Use non-alcoholic champagne or sparkling grape juice. You can still reduce it the same way and enhance with champagne extract.
Absolutely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze for up to a month.
Usually caused by adding warm liquid. Chill it for 10–15 minutes and re-whip to bring it back together.
Yes—this buttercream is perfect for piping into macarons. Just make sure it’s not too soft, and chill before assembling if needed.
Ingredients
- 470 ml (2 cups) Champagne
- 4 Cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 226 g (8 oz) Unsalted butter room temperature
- 480 g (4 cups) Powdered sugar
- 120 ml (½ cup) Champagne reduction
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp Champagne extract optional
- ½ tsp Clear vanilla extract
- 3 drops Pink gel food coloring
Method
- In a small saucepan, combine the champagne and crushed cherries. Simmer on low heat until the liquid is reduced to about ⅓ of its original volume—approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let cool completely.470 ml Champagne, 4 Cherries
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until light and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with the cooled champagne reduction. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy—about 3–5 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and champagne extract. Whip for another 30–60 seconds. Add pink food coloring if desired, mixing just until blended.226 g Unsalted butter, 480 g Powdered sugar, 120 ml Champagne reduction , ½ tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp Champagne extract, ½ tsp Clear vanilla extract, 3 drops Pink gel food coloring
- Pipe and Decorate – Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls onto cupcakes, cake layers, or macarons.
Notes
Tips for Success
- Cool reduction completely before adding to butter—hot liquid will melt the butter and ruin texture.
- Whip well for a light, airy consistency.
- Use cherry reduction for a natural pink color—especially helpful if avoiding artificial coloring.
- Store leftovers in the fridge up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
- Stiffen with more sugar if needed for piping in warm conditions.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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When I mixed the butter and champagne reduction together it didn’t incorporate at all. When I added the powder sugar it was almost like it was too late and now it keeps separating! What did I do wrong?
It does not make sense. The reduction is like syrup and it can be incorporated at any time – at the beginning, or at the end of the process.
Can superfine sugar be used instead of powdered sugar? Looking forward to giving this a try!
Sherrie, If you use superfine sugar the frosting will be grainy. I suggest if you want to use sugar instead of powdered sugar – make a Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream instead.
Hi, it seems lovely and delicious, just want to make sure, the cherries are incorporated into the buttercream? How do you deal with their skins.
I guess you remove them while cooling, but then do they give enough color for it to even shade the butter?
Sorry but I just started baking the American way (I’m French).
In any case I would like to make this for a friend’s gathering on new year’s eve.
Thanks.
Hey Carmen. You can add the cherries to the buttercream but I don’t. As you can see in the recipe I have bruised the cherries only so I can get the color. I leave the cherries behind when making the buttercream. Hope this helps.
I’ve tried several pink champagne buttercream frostings and yours is by far the best, Veena. I used just two cherries, as I wanted a very pale pink frosting. The champagne reduction is brilliant — this frosting maintains a champagne taste, even without champagne extract. Thank you!
Thank you, Christina. I do love my champagne frosting for exactly the reasons you mentioned.
So really glad you loved it too.
Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Love feedback especially such kind words
What does bod mean beside the cherries mean?i love your blog.
Cynthia is there a typo error somewhere that I am missing? I can’t see bod anywhere near cherries… In the ingredients there is Cherries – 4 nos.. nos. usually stands for number.. Is that what you referring to?
I have never tried making champagne frosting before but it looks and sounds amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
You are very welcome Jovita. Glad you like it
I would totally eat this with a spoon, er, I mean on a cupcake. Yeah, that’s what I meant. It looks delicious and I love the cherry trick!
ha.. I know what you mean Debi.. I have to hold back too!
I’ve never thought to look to see if my sugar is made from cane or beet. Now I’ll have to! I didn’t know that one would melt better than the other.Thank you for the tip!
Thanks Katie. For powder sugar it does matter.
I made a champagne butter cream frosting too last year! This looks awesome.. I love the cherry trick.
Thank you Ariana.
What a beautiful looking frosting! I love the idea of using cherries to colour the cream too. So lovely!
Thanks Thanh.