Grape Soda Cupcakes (Printable version)

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

# Ingredient List:

→ 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
10 - Purple food coloring as desired

→ 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
15 - Purple food coloring as desired
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

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 combined.
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.
05 - Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with grape soda. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Stir in grape extract and a few drops of purple food coloring 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. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
10 - Add 2 tablespoons grape soda, grape extract, and pinch of salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add more grape soda, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed for desired 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 as desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The crumb stays incredibly moist thanks to the grape sodas natural sweetness and carbonation
  • That nostalgic grape flavor hits different when its homemade instead of from a box
  • The buttercream is tangy enough to balance the sweetness without being cloying
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here or your batter may curdle
  • Overmixing after adding flour will make your cupcakes tough instead of tender
  • The grape soda loses carbonation quickly, so measure it right before adding to the batter
03 -
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill your cupcake liners for perfectly even portions
  • Let your buttercream come to room temperature before frosting for the smoothest application

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