This Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion or holiday! A champagne infused cake with a classic vanilla buttercream.
I wanted to do something special for New Year’s Eve this year, since I often let it pass by without mention.
We’re not big on New Year’s Eve parties, and often spend the evening enjoying a cozy night at home, though we do have our own traditions.
“Dinner” on NYE is a generous spread of various appetizers and goodies that we end up grazing on throughout the night.
There is always champagne or some sparking wine around, and we end up tuning in to some kind of NYE broadcast around midnight. Almost always, it’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve because it’s in Times Square and, to me, that is the epitome of NYE celebrations.
It’s not the same without Dick Clark though. 🙁
It’s always a quiet and enjoyable evening at the Liv for Cake household, and this Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate.
I’d like to tell you that this Pink Champagne Cake went off without a hitch, but I think you know me better than that by now.
This cake, or rather the photo shoot for this cake, was a huge pain in the butt.
Since the cake was pretty and pale, I thought it would look best with a light/white backdrop, which essentially made it impossible to get a good shot (at least with my camera and expertise).
Know what else is not fun?
Trying to light 3 sparklers simultaneously so that they ignite at exactly the same time, placing them quickly onto the cake, and grabbing your camera so you can take some pics.
I could have really used an extra set of hands (or two) or a remote for my camera. Ugh.
Let’s not even talk about how many sparklers I went through (18). That’s one entire package (though it actually felt like more at the time). I bought two packs just in case, and I would have used more, but by the 18th sparkler I was SO over it.
Naturally, of the 40 sparkler pics I took, I ended up using #4 which was the first one after a couple test shots.
True story.
Oh, and the sparkler photo session was briefly interrupted here and there so I could fan the smoke away from the smoke alarm. LOL. You can’t make this stuff up.
Sparkler issues aside, I think this Pink Champagne Cake turned out pretty well and it’s the perfect cake for any celebration!
Other noteworthy tidbits from this shoot:
- I watered down the pink champagne because it was too dark pink in contrast with the cake.
- I removed the champagne glasses from the sparkler photo session for fear that they would ignite (lol).
Knowing my luck, they would have.
Cake Sparkles
The cake sparkles I pressed into the sides and top of the cake, while pretty and sparkly and perfect, do not have the best texture.
You’d think they would dissolve almost instantly as soon as you eat them… but they don’t.
You have to chew them and then eventually just give up and swallow. I’m still glad I used them though, and totally would again for the pretty effect that they gave the cake.
Pink Champagne Cake
This Pink Champagne Cake tastes just like (surprise, surprise) champagne!
So if you don’t like the taste of champagne or sparkling wine, you might not like the flavour of this cake. Though my cake taste testers said it didn’t taste overly champagne-y and they thoroughly enjoyed it.
I went with a pretty pink color for the cake layers, as I wanted something different. You could do a gold (use 2 whole eggs rather than 3 whites, and non-pink champagne) or some other color instead and it would be just as pretty.
Whatever you decide, this cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser for your celebrations.
Tips for this Pink Champagne Cake:
- Recipe revised Aug 4, 2019 ~ I increased volume to yield thicker layers. The recipe makes enough for three 6″ pans or two 8″ pans. Layers should be close to 2″ tall.
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
- If you don’t like the taste of wine/champagne, you may not like the flavour of this cake (shocker, I know).
- Do not overmix the cake batter once the flour is added as it will result in a fragile and crumbly cake. To prevent this you can add some color gel when you’re mixing the butter & sugar instead.
- Cake sparkles give a perfectly pretty effect, but I would recommend sanding sugar instead for a more palatable texture.
- If you would like to have a gold-toned cake for NYE, use 3 whole large eggs rather than 5 large egg whites, and regular champagne instead of pink. I wouldn’t recommend tinting the batter, but you can try brushing gold luster dust onto the chilled/set frosting or using gold leaf to add accents!
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist by using Simple Syrup.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting and for how to make your buttercream white.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Pink Champagne Cake
Ingredients
Pink Champagne Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsps baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup pink champagne or sparkling wine
- Fuschia color gel
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
- 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
- Fuschia color gel
Assembly:
- 2 jars of cake sparkles or 1 jar sanding sugar
- Wilton tip 1M
- Wilton tip 12
Instructions
Pink Champagne Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
- Reduce speed and add egg whites one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and champagne, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of champagne). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Add a small amount of Fuschia color gel using a toothpick. Mix to incorporate but try not to overmix.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Bake for approx. 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and continue to whip until smooth.**
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost and smooth the sides. Chill for 20mins.
- Using a toothpick, add a small amount of Fuschia color gel to the remaining frosting. Stir with a spatula to incorporate, or place back on the stand mixer to mix in the color.
- Gently press cake sparkles or sanding sugar into the sides and top of the cake.***
- Decorate with pink rosettes on top and beads along the bottom if desired.
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Notes
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
*** It's easiest to do this if the cake is on a cake board and you can place it on an upside-down glass or bowl so the edges hang over. Adapted from My Cake School. ~Recipe revised Aug 4, 2019 - I increased volume to yield thicker layers. The recipe makes enough for three 6" pans or two 8" pans. Layers should be close to 2" tall.~
Originally published on Dec 17, 2016
Cathi says
Such a beautiful cake! Do you have any high altitude adjustments for this recipe? I couldn’t find any on your site? Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Cathi! I’ve never baked in high altitude myself and it might take some experimentation on your part depending on how high up you are. Here are some tips: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Mary says
Do you line the sides of the pans with parchment paper along with the bottoms after you grease and flour them?
Should the water be boiling under the icing?
Olivia says
Hi Mary! I grease and flour the whole pan but only line the bottom with parchment. The water should not be boiling, just simmering. See this post for a detailed tutorial: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Mary says
Should I grease and flour and line the cake pans on the bottom and the sides with parchment paper?
Olivia says
Hi Mary! I grease and flour the whole pan but only line the bottom with parchment.
Mel says
Hi Liv!
Your recipes have really inspired me to pursue my own baking adventures and every cake I’ve replicated fron your recipes have been absolute stunners and firm favourites so far – thanks for sharing!
Just a quick question – I haven’t been able to find the coloured gel in my local supermarket…can I use normal food colouring instead or will this impact the texture of the mixture?
Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Mel! Regular food coloring is a bit more liquid than gel colors. I haven’t tried it myself so not sure how it would affect the cake. Supermarkets generally only carry the liquid coloring though. Do you have a craft store you can check for the gel colors?
Mel says
I’ll give that a go. Thank you!
Raylene says
I would love to make this cake for my daughters 18th. I think I would need 4 x 8 inch pans. Do you think this would work if I double your 6 inch recipe?
TIA
Olivia says
Hi Raylene! In theory that should work, yes. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Senedra says
Hello! Do you think this would work well with Welch’s sparkling white grape juice?
Olivia says
Hi Senedra! Yes, I think that would work fine!
Christel says
Incredible cake! Loved by everyone!
Olivia says
Yay! So happy everyone loved it 🙂
Rachel says
I love this recipe! I’ve already made it twice. However, with the updated recipe, is there a different baking time between three 6 inch pans and two 8 inch pans? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Rachel! So happy you love it 🙂 Baking time will be very similar, but maybe slightly shorter in the 8″ pans as there will be a little bit less batter in each pan.
Mia says
Hey! This looks so delicious- was wondering how many cupcakes the recipe would make? Can’t wait to try it! x
Olivia says
Hi Mia! It should make 18-24 depending on size.
Sue says
Hi Liv,
I just made your Pink Champagne Cake. It turned out beautifully, including using sparklers!! That was fun!! Two photos below if you can open them.
I struggle to bake a light, moist cake and this one was! I feel it may have been the egg whites and champagne. I have two questions:
1) Are there any other fizzy drinks you would recommend for another flavor for this cake?
2) I saw the comments about adding orange juice to the champagne for a Mimosa flavor. I like this idea to sweeten the champagne flavor a bit, but what do you think the best proportion would be so as not to lose the fizz effect, if you think that contributes to the lightness?
Love your work!!
Thanks,
Sue
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50107343613_0ec349a181_m.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50108153287_bc23234db5_m.jpg
Olivia says
Hi Sue! Your cake is beautiful! I’m so happy you loved it 😀 You can use any liquid you like as long as you use 1 cup of it. I’ve use sangria before and even cream soda. I didn’t consider that the fizz could lead to the lightness… I’m not sure if this is the case. I would do 1/2 cup OJ and 1/2 cup champagne and see how you like it 🙂
MrsC says
Hi, if I iced the cake with sugarpaste how long would you say this would last?
Olivia says
Hi MrsC! It should last as long as any other cake I would think! Refrigerated for 2-3 days.
Patricia says
I’d love to make this for a birthday but need it gluten free and dairy free. What are your recommendations? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Patricia! I would use a proper GF flour blend in place of the flour and earth balance for butter for the cake. This type of buttercream won’t work well without actual butter though, so you could try an American buttercream with earth balance instead.
hailey says
hi do you think this recipe will work with pink moscata wine?
Olivia says
Hi Hailey! Yes, I think that would work great.
Teresa Vendetti says
Made this cake and it had good flavor but mine turned out like a pound cake, very heavy.Is that the way it was suppose to be?
Olivia says
Hi Teresa! No, it should not be so dense. That can happen though if the batter is overmixed once the flour has been added.
Shenae says
This cake was beautiful. Tasted just like “champagne cake”. The pink colour also made it fun.
Not too dense of a cake, just fluffy enough to eat. I filled the cake with Bavarian cream and topped with home made raspberry jam which paired so well with the champagne taste. This was for my baby shower. Thanks liv!
Olivia says
Hi Shenae! Thanks for the awesome feedback. I love your cream and jam pairing! And congratulations 🙂
Spiderheart says
What are the specifications for making this in a single loaf pan?
Olivia says
Hi Spiderheart! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Samantha says
Baked this for my cousins bridal shower and all the girls loved it. Sadly, my frosting did not work out so I made a quick batch of regular buttercream and it still tasted good (probably not as good 🙁 ). I used icing gel-based colors to color the cake and frosting, and it worked out just as good. The cake definitely tastes like champagne, and as a non-drinker of champagne, I could only have one or two bites of the cake. However I got so many other compliments. I would definitely recommend this recipe because its so different than any other cakes and it is so easy to make.
Olivia says
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Samantha! I am also not a huge drinker of champagne, so I understand. The flavour is strong and can be overwhelming. I’m so glad everyone liked it 🙂
Elaine says
I made this cake and it is absolutely delicious! I forgot to brush the simple syrup on the cake layers will try that next time.The frosting was outstanding! I made your recipe and another pink champagne cake and had a taste testing with friends and they all voted for your cake. I am making this cake again to take to a dinner group I am in. I do have a question, the recipe for the vanilla buttercream uses 5 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of butter. I used your Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Is this basically the same recipe? If I use the recipe listed with the cake will there be enough frosting to pipe the decorations as you have shown?
Olivia says
Hi Elaine! I am so happy to hear that you and your friends loved it. It’s basically the same recipe, just that this one makes a smaller amount of frosting. Both yield equally delicious results though 🙂 The amount I used in this recipe is enough for what you see in the photos. Either works though!
Stacey says
visually stunning, and deliciously balanced. light yet dense.
i made two recipes for a two layer 9″ cake. used the foil wrap trick to keep the layers flat. it totally worked and resulted in the perfect (for me) ratio of cake to icing. plenty for a crowd.
a new fav and perfect for any sparkly occasion. so in love. ♡
Olivia says
Thanks so much Stacey! I’m so happy you loved it. Thanks for your tips!
Kay says
Will this recipe release from a basic bundt and mini bundt pans? I would like to do it for a friend’s baby shower on Valentine’s day. I am planning on doing red velvet and vanilla bundts this would look beautiful next to those colors, but it might be to light to release?
Olivia says
Hi Kay! It should work fine provided the pans are prepped properly.
Nic says
Hi.
Have you baked this recipe as a whole cake with heating spike (not baking individual layers) or is it too dense?
Olivia says
Hi Nic! I haven’t myself — how large a cake were you thinking of making?
Karla says
I finally got around to making this cake and I loved it! The only question I have is about the frosting. Is it possible to whip the frosting too much? I got to the part where the frosting looked curdled but I kept whipping and it smoothed out. But at some point it got peaky almost like a meringue. Do you think I over whipped? Thanks in advance!
Olivia says
Hi Karla! Hmm, is it possible the frosting got a bit too soft/warm? It shouldn’t get as sticky as a meringue. Here’s a post with photos of what the buttercream should look like 🙂 https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Julie says
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. I am kind of new to cake making, if I were to half the recipe would I round up or down on the eggs? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Julie! It would be ideal to no round and use 2.5 egg whites. If you have a scale, half an egg white should be about 20g, otherwise, just eyeball it. Really though, rounding up or down wouldn’t have a disastrous effect on the recipe either. I would round up.
Raleigh Rower says
I made this recipe as cupcakes for a New Year’s Eve party and they were a smash hit. I made the recipe for 16 servings and made 28 standard cupcakes. I mixed a little orange juice with sparkling wine (1 part orange juice:3 parts sparkling wine) for the batter and skipped the food coloring. The cake was delicious. The frosting was perfect and I just dusted with white sparkling sugar for a simple but festive display.
Olivia says
Hi Raleigh! Yay! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for the tip re: the OJ (love that).
Brooke says
This cake was amazing! I made it for New Years Eve and let it cool in the fridge overnight the night before. Turned out beautiful and the buttercream was to die for! Definitely going to make this a go to recipe! Cakes came out about an inch and a quarter, flat and moist, making them perfect for stacking. I was worried that I curdled the buttercream but I read your note and kept mixing and it did get smooth. This is perfect, thank you for an amazing recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Brooke! So happy to hear you loved this one and yay for saving the buttercream 🙂
Luna summers says
Will the recipe still work if I replace the Champagne with Apple cider?
Olivia says
Hi Luna! It should, but what are you trying to achieve? There may be a better recipe to use for that.
Shelly says
Hi could I cover this cake in sugar paste
Olivia says
Hi Shelly! Yes, that should work fine.
Carmen says
Hi Liv, gorgeous cake. May I ask where you got the sparklers for your cake . What brand are they?
Olivia says
Hi Carmen! I got them at the Dollar store here. I have no idea what brand they were but it was the only place I could find them.
winni says
Thank you so much for a unique pink champagne cake by this post. I am very grateful to you.
Olivia says
Hi Winni! So happy you liked it 🙂
Bunny says
As to your note about the edible glitter not being palatable, I would suggest that you can make it into much smaller pieces. When I went to the National Training a long time ago, to be a certified Wilton Instructor, we were taught to use the handle end of a metal spatula, and press into the jar of glitter several times to make the pieces much smaller.
I’ve been making Champagne Cakes with Champagne Mousse Fillings and Champagne Mock Whip Frostings for over 35 years. It’s our most popular generic cake. I had an order for one a few years ago for a 3-year-old’s birthday cake. He had tasted it at a wedding reception where I make the cakes, and he insisted he wanted it for his birthday.
Bunny says
Whoops, made the cakes, my keyboard isn’t awake yet.
Olivia says
Hi Bunny! That is a great tip, thank you! I will try that next time 🙂
Gina Mansfield says
Hi Olivia. Five Stars for this recipe. I wanted you to know that your Pink Champagne Cake is amazing. I made this as a 3 tier Wedding Cake for my Nephew and his new beautiful Bride for their stunning Fall Wedding yesterday. The wedding cake was a double 10″ Pink Champagne with strawberry filling, a double 8″ amazing Banana Cake with Caramel Ganache from crazyforcrust, and a double 6″ Pink Champagne with strawberry filling.
I noticed in some of the comments, people were asking about your Pink Champagne cake being made into a larger cake. The Wedding cake turned out fantastic! I used one whole recipe for for each of the 10″ cakes and one recipe for the 6″ double. I was afraid to double the recipe in fear of the cake not turning out right, so I had to make it three times. The 10″ was extremely heavy and baked for an additional 13 minutes, but it was very moist and the cakes had an amazing champagne taste. I used an entire bottle of an Italian Spumanti by Verdi for the two 10″ , two 6″ cakes , and one 6″ for my Husband and I to try. Thank you for posting this amazing cake, I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Olivia says
Hi Gina! I am so happy to hear that you loved this cake and thank you so much for all of your tips on scaling it up!! I can’t wait to hear what you try next 🙂
Sheena says
I would really like to make this recipe for my sister in law’s bridal shower. However, with my hosting the party I would like to make it in advance. How far in advance can I make and assemble this cake? Any and all suggestions appreciated!
Olivia says
Hi Sheena! Both the cake and frosting can be made weeks or months in advance. Just wrap well and freeze. For the buttercream, be sure it comes completely to room temp and give it a good rewhip. Otherwise the whole frosted cake can be refrigerate for a couple days. Any longer and it will start to dry out. I hope that helps!
Cindy says
Hi, I plan to make this cake for my upcoming 35th birthday. I want to use three 9” pans. By How much should I increase this recipe to fit 9” pans?
Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Cindy! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I would double the recipe.
Katja says
Thank you for this recipe! I made the golden version of this champagne cake for my sisters 25th birthday and the cake and frosting both turned out so well. I filled the cake with the champagne frosting and fresh strawberries and made it a drip cake using white chocolate ganache. My sister loved it!
For the amateur bakers like me:
1. I made this whole recipe with a handheld mixer. Making the frosting was like a workout for my arms, but it is possible and the results are just so worth it.
2. Also, make sure not to overmix the batter! I stirred in the champagne and flour mixture using a wooden spoon, not my handheld mixer.
Since I use 7inch/18cm pans, I multiplied the recipe by 1 1/4). I also did this for the frosting. My cake layers a nice height and there was enough frosting for filling and decorating the cake.
Also, I put champagne simple syrup over my cake layers before filling the cake. Same volume champagne and sugar, dissolve the sugar in the champagne over medium heat and let cool before using it. It intensifies the fresh taste of the champagne.
Once again, thank you for this amazing recipe! I surely will be making it again 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Katja! Thanks so much for all your tips! I love your golden version with berries — perfect. I’m impressed that you made the frosting with a hand mixer, that is no joke! Glad it worked out. So glad you loved it 🙂
Lauretta Shokler says
This is a strange and somewhat challenging recipe. I’ve been baking for years, so I’m willing to be challenged, but it needs to produce a better than average outcome. Unfortunately, the cake smells like beer bread when it first comes out of the oven, and it has a mealy texture. I also found that the edges kept collapsing. The frosting came out very liquidy , so I had to thicken it just to be able to spread it We were hoping to use this recipe for one of my daughter’s wedding cakes, but have decided to find something else. I like the concept, but that was about it.
Olivia says
Hi Lauretta, sorry to hear you had trouble with this one. It’s a common recipe formula, only using champagne instead of milk. The cake will smell and taste strongly of champagne given that it’s the main liquid in the batter. This is not to everyone’s taste. You could use half milk half champagne if you’d like to tone down the flavour.
The crumbly texture is likely due to overmixing the cake batter. This can happen when coloring any cake batter. I sometimes recommend adding color during the butter creaming stage to prevent any possible overmixing. The frosting being liquid could be due to a few reasons — my Swiss Meringue buttercream post goes over all the tips and troubleshooting: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Julie Catt says
I am not a novice baker, so I was surprised this cake came out very flat.—about the size of large pancakes.. No, nothing was wrong with the baking powder. I was going to take this cake to my best best friend’s birthday party, but I can’t take it now. Have to start all over with a different recipe. This recipe was a complete flop and a total waste of my time.
Olivia says
Hi Julie! Sorry to hear you had trouble with this one. Did you use the correct size pans? If so, overmixing can lead to dense and flat cakes and can happen when coloring the batter.
Julie Catt says
Yes, I had the 6” pans and don’t believe I overmixed. Since I’m determined and don’t give up easily, I made the entire recipe over—exact same result. At least the taste was there.
Olivia says
The layers aren’t super tall, but they should be about 1 1/4″ or so. Glad you liked the flavour!
Katlyn Renee says
Really a beautiful cake in texture and flavor. I chose to turn this into cupcakes for a shower I was attending. I chose to use Korbel Sweet Rosé.
Olivia says
Thanks Katlyn! I’m so happy you liked it!
Lola says
Hi Liv,
Many thanks for this recipe. I made this 2 days ago and it was really lovely, i cant fault it at all and everyone enjoyed.
Olivia says
Hi Lola! So glad everyone loved it 🙂
Mallory says
Hi!
This cake is beautiful and I plan on making it for a mothers day lunch that I’m doing with my mom, grandma and sister-in-law. It’s stunning! Weird question . . . . where did you get those gorgeous speckled plates?
I’m looking for some cute dessert place to spruce up dessert.
Olivia says
Hi Mallory! I’m so happy you’re going to try this! I got the plates at Anthropologie. It doesn’t look like they have the same ones anymore, but they have some very pretty options! https://www.anthropologie.com/kitchen-side-plates
Jashini N Sanmugam says
Hi there! I am making this cake for my girlfriends wedding shower, the catch is there are almost 45 guests attending. I was originally going to make the 6in, 10in and 12 in versions of these cakes but now I am curious if I can turn this recipe into cupcakes. I am envisioning the 6inch cake and then cupcakes surrounding it with the pink and white alternating? Do you have any thoughts about cupcakes?
Olivia says
Hi Jashini! You can totally make this into cupcakes! All you need to do is adjust the baking time. Start checking at about 15mins.
Dana Bradley says
If covering with fondant icing, how far ahead could I make this cake?
Olivia says
Hi Dana! I’m not sure as I don’t work with fondant much these days.
Toni says
Hi… I just made the cake for the first time. I used 6 inch pans and cake strips. My question… how tall should each cake be? My layers are not even one inch! Help!,,
Olivia says
Hi Toni! The layers aren’t super tall, they should be just over 1″ in height. Be sure to not overmix your batter as that can cause denser and shorter cakes!
Toni says
That’s probably what I did! After each addition of egg white… is it a quick mix?
Thanks again😊
Olivia says
You want to give it a good mix after adding each white, but once you start adding the flour you want to mix until just incorporated.
Jashini Sanmugam says
Thank you so much for this fun and stunning cake recipe. I read your entire blog including the Swiss meringue and the end result was perfect. I am in no way a professional baker but multiple people have asked if I am. Thank you for sharing! This cake is for my sisters birthday and I am also making this for a wedding shower.
Olivia says
Hi Jashini! Thanks so much for the great feedback! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Catherine says
Hi Liv
I’ve made this cake on two or three occasions (my mom’s 60th/my 30th birthday, Easter…) and it has always been amazing. I’m a very skilled baker, but I am not a professional. There is a chance that I might be making my own wedding cake next year (depending on what venue we pick and if I can use it the day before the wedding, and on what facilities the venue has). We’re having a small wedding with around 50 people. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I’d need to make two or three tiers. In that case, what size baking tins would I need for each tier? Have you got the proportions for the recipe to hand? If not, I’ll calculate the recipe for the bigger tiers myself.
By the way, the only thing I do differently is use more champagne and put sliced strawberries between the layers. I don’t like pink, so I make a gold strawberry champagne cake instead. Everyone loves it!
By the way, we’re having a 1920’s themed wedding, so I’m going to try and decorate it art nouveau/Gatsby style.
Olivia says
Hi Catherine! So glad to hear you like this recipe and congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Here’s a couple sites that might help:
To figure out how many servings per cake: https://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
To convert pan sizes: https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
How many tiers you make depends on the size of each of them. Just a matter of preference. I would go for 2 tiers for ease if you’ve never made a tiered cake before. Be sure to support the tiers properly!
I love the addition of more champagne and strawberries! A perfect pairing. Let me know how it goes and definitely send pics along!
Karen Frederick says
I have never made a “fancy” cake or even made a cake from scratch, yet after reading your detailed explanations I was able to make this cake today! THANK YOU! Your tips on making SMB were very helpful too. Your Pink Champagne Cake is delicious. I am looking forward to making more of your recipes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Olivia says
Yay! So happy to hear that Karen! I’m so glad you liked the cake and I can’t wait to hear what you try next 🙂
Lauren says
Can I use cake flour instead of ap flour?
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! Yes, that will work fine.
Christine Brumfield says
This was a delicious change for a cake flavor!! I actually added orange juice with the champagne to give the cake a “Mimosa” flavor… outstanding!! Also, after removing from oven I poked holes with toothpick and brushed a mimosa simple syrupy over entire cake!! Frosted after cooled… what a special treat!! Thanks for an easy yet elegant cake!!
Olivia says
Hi Christine! I’m so glad you liked this and omg I love the addition of orange juice and mimosa syrup! I will have to try that next time 🙂
Haley says
Loved this recipe! 😀 I tried it recently for my Jan 1st birthday (making my own birthday cake is kinda weird, but I had a lot of fun and it was a treat). It was delicious! There is just enough of the champagne flavor.
Olivia says
Hi Haley! So glad you liked the cake and Happy belated birthday!
Jacklyn says
I hope your healthy recipes will include winter squash. I am addicted! See you soon and lots of love for 2018!
Jessica Fontenot says
I know I am very late, but I wanted to tell you that you’re too hard on yourself regarding your photos of the cake. I usually look for recipes using Google images because I mostly know what I am LOOKING for. Yours was the first I clicked on because it is perfectly what I’m looking for. I will update this after I make it tonight!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Jessica! This was such a lovely thing to hear!! I hope you like it!
Heather says
Hello there! I’m planning on doubling the recipe and using three 8” pans. Should I double the icing batch as well?
Olivia says
Hi Heather! Yes, I would double the frosting as well. The layers will be a bit thinner in the 8″ pans.
Layla says
Hi Olivia! Thanks for this recipe, and all the recipes on here! I made this cake last night using 2 8″ pans and ended up having to do two batches because of how thin the layers were. Do you think this is because I wasn’t using 6″ pans? Additionally I didn’t add any food coloring and the bottoms of my cakes had a really weird and uneven bake on them – think giraffe print. Do you think this was because of the bubbles in the champagne? Did you encounter anything like that?
Olivia says
Hi Layla! The cakes will be a bit thinner in two 8″ pans, they were about 1.5″ tall or so in my 6″. Bizarre about the uneven bake on the bottom! How do you prepare your pans for baking? It might have had something to do with that.
Lianne byrne says
Looking forward to making this cake, was wonder would three 8inch cake tin work? Also could I make the buttercream without egg whites?
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Lianne! You’d need to double the recipe for three 8″ layers, or maybe even a bit more as I worry the layers would be too thin. You could use a different buttercream recipe, but this particular one has to use egg whites.
Haley says
I accidentally used 8 inch pans and it turned out too thin. It’s okay though, i made two more and it was perfect.
lindsay d. says
hi,
i’m making this for my friends’ birthday this wknd and i’m going out to buy pans, but i’m not sure how deep/high they should be. i see 6″ ones that are 2″ deep and 3″ deep–which did you use?
thanks so much!
Olivia says
Hi Lindsay! For this recipe all you need is the 2″ tall ones, but 3″ will work just fine too!
lindsay d. says
thank you so much for replying–i’ll let you know how it works out! 🙂
lindsay d. says
it turned out great. my friends (the birthday girls) loved it, and i had fun making it!
thank you!
Olivia says
So glad to hear that!!
Alaina says
This cake is gorgeous. I am going to try to make it for a joint birthday party. I’m not that skilled and usually make box cakes, so I have a lot of questions…
I think the biggest one is about the mixer. I have a stand mixer…in storage. I have a hand mixer…in storage. Deep in storage. How critical do you think it is to use a stand mixer? Should I grab a simple, new hand mixer, or would mixing by hand be ok? I’m sure you’re used to using a stand mixer but I’m curious if you have a sense of how detrimental it would be to the recipe to mix using other methods.
My next question is about the vanilla. You list both vanilla and clear vanilla extract in the recipe. I am going to do my best to find these ingredients, but I don’t have time to order them online so I’m worried I won’t find them. What would be acceptable substitutes? I have vanilla bean paste, but I don’t plan to use that as the consistency is different. I assume I can use regular vanilla extract instead of clear, but my color won’t be as nice. Can I use vanilla extract (same amount) instead of vanilla if I can’t find it?
I have never tried using even bake strips, but I plan to for this recipe because I want my cake to look amazing! I assume the baking temperature and times are with the strips. If I don’t end up finding them, how would I adjust the time and temperature?
I think that’s everything. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
Olivia says
Hi Alaina! Re: the mixer, you definitely want to use *some* kind of mixer – not by hand. Ideally a stand mixer, specifically for the buttercream as it takes a long time for it to cool down. You can use a hand mixer to do this, but you’d be standing there for a while whipping the meringue. Doable, but not ideal 🙂
Re: vanilla, you can use regular vanilla extract, but it will tint the color of the buttercream. You can always add a tiny bit of blue color gel to neutralize the yellow if you’d like it whiter.
Re: the strips, baking temperature would be the same regardless. If you don’t use the strips, baking time may be a bit shorter.
I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Alaina says
I ended up just getting a hand mixer – it did take forever. Glad I at least did that. I miss my stand mixer 🙁
I was able to find clear vanilla extract. My icing was not white because of the butter, but I liked how it turned out with the sugar.
The strips worked amazingly well. Glad I finally took the plunge.
LOVE this recipe! The cake was delicious and I did my best to copy your exact decorations because it is so pretty. I just added a little bit of gold under the pink rosettes.
Thank you so much for your tips. I read through all of the comments before starting and your responses were very helpful.
Olivia says
Yay! So glad to hear it worked out. As a tip, you can add the tiniest bit of violet color gel to the buttercream to neutralize the yellow and have it be more white.
Rayna Bolich says
Thanks for taking the time to post this recipe, too bad it’s inaccessible for so many of us as 6” pans are not the normal size in many kitchens, myself included. I only have 9 and 8”, I’m not about to go buy three more cake pans for a recipe. Sorry, will be looking for a champagne cake recipe somewhere else.
Olivia says
Hi Rayna! Recipes can be converted to work with different sized pans. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Juliëtte says
Hi Olivia
I’m thinking about making this cake for a baby shower, so I was wondering if I could use alcohol free champagne instead of regular champagne?
– Juliëtte
Olivia says
Hi Juliëtte! Yes, I think that would work fine!
Sam says
HA omg thank you for being so real about the sparklers! The first thing I thought when I saw them was wow that mustve been so hard to get them all lit at the same time. Last time I played with them I moronically had some cheesecloth down for a pretty effect only to realize that it will catch fire and ruin my backdrop!! Lesson learned!
Olivia says
Oh noooo! That sounds like something I would do!! haha
jennie says
Hi Olivia,
Could you please tell me what size the cups are for the ingredients.
Thanks in advance.
Jennie
Olivia says
Hi Jennie! My cups are 250ml.
Joycelyn S. says
Hi! Has anyone had success doing a 10″ 3 layer cake? I want to do a stacked 2 tier cake, 10″ & 6″. I saw an earlier post where you said tripling the recipe to scale it to size for a 10″ might affect the structure of the cake. Is the possible effect on the structure from mixing it all in one batch or from baking in the larger pan or both? Would mixing 2 double recipes have less an affect on the structure of the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Jocelyn! The effect on structure is from mixing it all in one batch. This is just what I’ve heard though — that scaling a recipe up too much can cause this. I haven’t tried it myself! You can give it a try though 🙂 I hope that helps!
Donna Ingram says
Hi Olivia – Baking these today, update to my last question:
Sorry – Pastry flour – can I use pastry flour instead of all purpose?
And – can I use 2 8” pans instead of 3 6″?
Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Donna! This is probably to late, but yes to both of those questions. The layers will be a bit thinner in the 8″ though.
Donna says
Hi Olivia. Trying this cake today. Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose?
Olivia says
Hi Donna! Yes, that should work fine.
e says
Hi! I have a request to make a 3-tiered pink champagne wedding cake. I have only made a champagne cake once, and it was quite soft and springy (which tastes delicious), but I have concerns about stacking 3 tiers. Do you think a champagne cake, particularly this recipe, could withstand the weight (obviously supported with dowels and cake boards)?
Olivia says
Hi Elise! I haven’t used this cake for stacking, but as long as it is well supported it should be fine. Be sure to not overmix the batter if adding coloring as that can make the cake more fragile.
Melissa says
Hi Olivia! I LOVE this cake idea! I want to try this out, but do you think sparkling wine flavor (concentrate) is an okay substitute? If so, any idea on how much I’d use? Thanks! 💗
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! I’m not totally sure… I don’t know if I’ve heard of that! Do you dilute it in any way? If so I would dilute it to make 3/4 cup, then it should work fine 🙂
Chloe says
Hello Olivia, your cake looks absolutely lovely. I have a few questions because I am catering a pink Champagne cake for a birthday. I am suppose to make a cake that will feed 20. I didn’t know what size your cake pans were but how many 9 inch cake pans do you think would feed 20 and how many times should i double the recipe? Thank you so much for this recipe and your time.
-Chloe
Olivia says
Hi Chloe! My cake pans were 6″ per the details in the recipe. Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Nikki says
Hi Olivia! Your cake looks so stunning and delicious! I just have a question, I want to make this for a birthday celebrant but I don’t drink wine and she does so it would be a perfect surprise for her. What brand of sparkling rose did you use if you don’t mind sharing? And is it also safe to be consumed by children coz there’s kids present at the party? I also would be using 3 8inch pans because that’s the only pan I have. I would double the recipe but I don’t know how long to cook it. And last one do you have the ingredients measured in grams coz I live in USA and I’m not sure if we do have the same measurement of cups? So sorry for lots of questions. Thank you so much in advance!
Olivia says
I believe this is the brand I used: https://www.crownwineandspirits.com/martini-rossi-asti-rose-750ml/ The alcohol will not fully cook out of the cake though, so I don’t know if I’d serve it to kids :\ And yes, double the recipe for three 8″ pans. Baking time should be relatively the same! If you click on Metric below the list of ingredients you can see the amounts in grams.
Jeri says
Hmmm, I was wondering the same thing about the alcohol cooking out. I was thinking about this for my daughter’s baby shower.
Though I haven’t had this recipe, pink champagne cake is an old favorite of mine. A bakery in CA used to make it for every celebration at work. It was so good and so beautiful. They decorated it with pink “chocolate” curls covering the top.
I’m going to search now for alcohol free champagne!
Olivia says
Good luck Jeri! Let me know if you find one 🙂
Lanny says
Hi!
I was so excited to make this cake as it looks beautiful and delicious. Unfortunately, my cakes were very thin according to my expectations. They were less than 1″ and I made sure not to over mix. Once I put in the food gel, I mixed for a few seconds and then just folded the color in. How thick were your cakes?
Olivia says
Hi Lanny! The layers should be about 1.25-1.5″ thick. Did you use 6″ cake pans? It’s tricky with coloring cake batter as it’s so easy to overmix it and overmixing causes thinner, denser layers :\
Victoria says
Hello Olivia
Omg your cake looks so lovely. I would like to try baking this cake for my mother. I would like to know if I may use red or white wine in place of pink champaign?
May I also check if I am able to wrap the cake in fondant? Will it be too soft and collapse under the fondant?
I Only have two 7″x 3″ pan. I guess I will have to bake it longer in lower temperature?
Thank you for sharing. It’s so pretty.
Olivia says
Hi Victoria! You can totally use wine in place of champagne. I think fondant should work fine too! I recommend chilling the cake first so that the frosting firms up. For two 7×3″ pans, yes, bake it longer but at the same temp! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out.
Victoria says
Wonderful. Thanks Olivia, gonna try it this weekends 😘
Mics says
Hi there. Would it be possible for me to use Rose instead of champagne?
Olivia says
Yes for sure! That should work fine.
Brenda Borzykowski says
Can I double the recipe for the champagne cake so I can use 3 9” pans?
Olivia says
Hi Brenda! I think the layers would be too thin, even if doubled. Do you have 8″ pans?
AShley says
Do you think this would make 2 8” cakes instead of 3 6”?
Olivia says
Hi Ashley! I think the two 8″ layers would be a bit too thin. I suggest you 1.5x the recipe. You can adjust the Servings slider to 18 and that will show you the amounts to use.
chelle says
can we use any other liquid than pink champagne and sparkling wine?
Olivia says
Hi Chelle! You can use milk or buttermilk also. What were you wanting to use specifically?
Kelly says
For the gel and cake mixing, you say not to over mix it but to incorporate it, mine turned out more marbled colored than a nice clean pink color as yours turned out , any advice for next time ?
Also, I mixed the sugar and the egg white together using a boiling pot of water and a glass bowl over it , I wasn’t able to put glass bowl into my stand mixer so i just put the mixture into my stand mixer , do you think this is why the meringue took a long while to stiffen up? Any other advice for next time for this pet as well? Thanks for your time
Olivia says
Hi Kelly! For the color, you can try adding some to the butter & sugar first and then a bit more at the end so you don’t have to worry about overmixing. Regarding the meringue, did it stiffen eventually? I know glass bowls don’t conduct heat as well as metal ones. I would suggest trying a metal one next time.
Julia says
I made the recipe twice (for the cake) and it made 4 layers in 8″ pans. Since the layers were thinner I baked them for only 15 minutes. I did not double the frosting recipe and had enough for the thin layer between all the layers, the top, sides, and enough left over to do some decorations around the top and bottom edge of the cake. I thought it was the perfect amount.
I also used 4 drops of red food coloring instead of the fuscia gel (per cake recipe) and 2 drips in the frosting recipe and got a nice light pink color.
Olivia says
Hi Julia! Thanks for all your tips and modifications. So glad you liked it! 🙂
Lindsay says
This cake recipe was fan-freaking-tastic! I used a 7” pan and 1.5x the cake recipe but made the frosting as is. It worked out great. I wish I could add a picture. I’ll be making this for years to come:)
Hey Olivia, just as I was about to post this I saw your About Olivia. Thought I’d let you know I’m writing this from down the road in Abbotsford. Keep up the good work!
Olivia says
Hiiiii! Always so nice to “meet” a local. I’m in PoCo! I am so happy you liked this cake!! Please email me a pic, I’d love to see it 😀
Jonalisa says
I like the look of the edible glitter too, but I take a mortar and pestle to it to make the glitter into a powder. Still sparkles wonderfully, but it is much easier to eat!
Olivia says
Ohh that’s a great idea! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Lisa says
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe and decided to this past weekend for a small dinner party. The cake smelled fantastic! Alas, in my haste to make up the batter I over mixed and had thin layers. I forged ahead with icing and assembly, and though my cake was little, it was tasty. Thank you for another fun recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! Sorry to hear about the thinner layers 🙁 Glad it still tasted good though!! 🙂
Lisa says
After reading the ingredient list and instructions, the sparkling wine amounts differ. I read 1-2/3 cups. Can you clarify?
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! I’m not sure where you see 1-2/3 cups? The total for the sparkling wine is 3/4 cup.
Meagan says
As a New Years Eve baby, this was the perfect cake to make for my birthday. My whole family loved it! The color was fantastic, the flavor was light, and the cake was moist.
Olivia says
Hi Meagan! So happy to hear that everyone loved it! Happy belated birthday 🙂
Meagan says
Thank you! Happy New Year 🙂
Jordan says
This cake is so yummy! I tripled the recipe for an 8″ 3-layer cake and it came out perfect!
Olivia says
Hi Jordan! So glad you liked it. Thanks for the info on tripling the recipe too!
Michele says
Do you think prosecco would be okay or would that be too sweet? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Michele! I think that would work just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Kristina Belyea says
I am not sure what you mean by the hot water bath… help! haha 🙂 i am making these as cupcakes (sigh but brides request) for a wedding next week (she asked certain guest to make dessert – this would have be fab as a cake)
When whisking – you are just hand whisking?
thanks so much! i have never made frosting this way before.
Also any tips on making it so that the cupcake doesn’t stick to the liners?
Much thanks!!
Olivia says
Hi Kristina! Sorry for the delayed reply. Sorry I wasn’t clear, basically what I meant is to create a double boiler (http://bakingbites.com/2009/09/how-to-make-a-double-boiler/). Just make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t sitting in the water, but just getting heat from the steam. I whisk by hand. It’s about 2-3mins of whisking. I hope that helps! And I hope you like this frosting. It’s so silky smooth and delicious!
I’m not sure what you mean about the cupcakes sticking to the liners… aren’t they supposed to?? I don’t make a lot of cupcakes! Haha.
magali Lee says
This recipe was so easy to follow! One question though, my layers turned out super thin, is there anything to remedy that?
Olivia says
Hi Magali! Sorry to hear about the thin layers 🙁 Did you use the correct pan size? 6″? The layers should be about 1 to 1.5″ thick or so. If they were thinner than that then perhaps your baking powder is expired? Or the batter was overmixed? 🙁
Kalie says
Ok, so I saw someone was using 3 8″ pans and you said to double the recipe but what about 3 10″ pans? I am actually thinking about using this to make a small 3 tier wedding cake made of 6″,8″, and a 10″ tri-layered cakes.
Olivia says
Hi Kalie! Using this a a guide (http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html) I would 3x the recipe for 10″ pans. Scaling it up that much might affect the overall structure of the cake though. Just something to keep in mind if you try it. Let me know how it turns out!
Joycelyn S says
Did anyone ever have success with a 3 layer 10″ cake? When you said scaling up that much (tripling the recipe) might affect the structure of the cake, it that just with mixing it all together or also baking with the appropriate quantity of batter in the larger pan? I’m wondering if I separately mixed 2 double batches & baked it in the 10″ pan would that nullify any potential negative effects on the structure?
Savilla says
Hi Olivia! I am planning on making this for a friend’s 30th, and I don’t want it to be pink. I’m planning on using whole eggs and regular asti champagne in two 9 in round pans (that’s all I have). Would you recommend 3 whole eggs?
Olivia says
Hi Savilla! I think the cake layers will be too thin in 9″ pans :(. Even in two 8″ they are a little thinner than you see here. If you plan to use two 9″ I would 1.5x the recipe. I would use two whole eggs in the regular recipe or three if you 1.5x the recipe. I hope that helps!
Alexa Ann says
Can you replace butter with some sort of oil in the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Alexa Ann! Not in this particular recipe, I wouldn’t. Are you not able to have butter?
Lillian says
I made this cake for my anniversary and It was DELICIOUS! I just added a little strawberry compote inbetween the layers, but that cake was delicious! I ate it all by myself! Great Recipe! Thank you😍😊
Olivia says
Ohhh I love your addition of strawberry! It would go so well. Glad you liked it! 🙂
JoAnna says
Hi Olivia,
I would like to make this recipe as cupcakes and wanted to know if you have an estimate of what the yield would be for one recipe?
Olivia says
Hi JoAnna! So sorry for the delay, I’ve been travelling. I haven’t ever made these as cupcakes so can’t be completely sure…as a guess I’d say maybe 18 or so depending on size? Sorry I can’t give a more accurate estimate. If you try them, let me know!
Julia says
I doubled the recipe and it made 24 too big cupcakes. Would estimate about 30-32 for the double and 15-16 for one batch.
Olivia says
Awesome, thanks so much for the info!!
Kelsey says
I just made this cake and it is FANTASTIC! Your instructions were super easy to follow, and everything turned out great. I’ve never made frosting this way, and I don’t think I’ll ever make it differently – so smooth, light, and delicious (not too sweet like many other buttercream frostings). I did accidentally use salted butter in the frosting, and it tasted way too salty, so I added a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and thankfully that fixed it.
Olivia says
Yay! So happy to hear that it worked out for you 🙂 I LOVE meringue frostings — a bit more work, but totally worth it!
Ami says
Hi, am making this for my mums 60th on weekend but like comment before I am a little time poor so will need to make layers and freeze and then buttercream the night before. My question is, when you say wrap in cling wrap and freeze, do u do while still warm straight away or do you wait til room temperature?
Also wanting a dramatic cake should I double the mix? I’m using 20cm pans
Olivia says
Hi Ami! I wrap the layers once they are cooled. It’s ok if they’re still slightly warm to the touch though — helps lock in that moisture! And yes, double the recipe for three 20cm pans. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Clair says
Hello,
i would like to make this recipe for my sister’s bridal party. Is it possible to make the buttercream a day before and preserve it? Should I make the cake the same day or could it be done the day before?
Thank you in advance and congratulations on everything!
Olivia says
Hi Clair! You can bake the cake layers in advance if you like. I often do so with mine and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them. The frosting can be made in advance too. Be sure to refrigerate it though and re-whip it once you get it back to room temperature.
Danielle Sosa says
Hi Olivia! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what other kind of frosting might go well with this, as I am not a huge fan of buttercream ( I know I’m a weirdo) I make a delicious cream cheese frosting with cream cheese and a lot of heavy whipping cream, and I love chocolate and white chocolate ganache, do you think something like that would work? I’ve never had champagne cake so I don’t know what flavors would work well with it! Thanks <3
Olivia says
Hi Danielle! I totally think cream cheese would work as long as it’s firm enough. I have a good recipe you can check out here:
http://livforcake.com/2017/04/blueberry-banana-cake.html
I think a white chocolate ganache would work well too 🙂 Let me know what you decide and how it turns out!
TrishKnits says
I made this cake for a birthday dinner for two girlfriends. The photos give the impression that the recipe would result in a relatively tall 3-layer cake. However, I found that a single batch of batter wasn’t going to result in very thick layers, especially after levelling, so instead I made the recipe twice and baked two 6″ layers per batch, which resulted in a beautiful and dramatically tall, 4-tiered cake. Also, I used a pink champagne infused simple syrup (⅓ cup each of white sugar, water and champagne) to moisten the layers when assembling and my go-to vanilla buttercream frosting – but your recipe does looks great. 🙂
I must say that the fragrance of pink champagne baking is so yummy! I’ll come back to report on what the birthday girls and other guests say after they taste it! Thanks. <3
Olivia says
Hi Trish! Thanks for your tips and feedback. I love the idea of a champagne infused syrup! Regarding the size of the layers, I just had a lightbulb moment because Nathan (comment above yours) also mentioned his layers were thin. I actually use Evenbake strips (http://livforcake.com/2014/09/flat-top-cakes.html) to make sure my layers bake up flat, so I don’t have to level them at all. This means they are even and taller all around – should be about 1-1.5″ thick. Totally works as two 6″ layers instead though, and I’d love to see your super tall 4 layer cake! I hope everyone liked it 🙂
Nathan says
This is the first cake that has repeatedly given me issues. It hasn’t risen properly in 6 attempts. I’ve tried doubling the baking powder, I’ve tried self-raising flour, I’ve tried self-raising flour with baking powder, all without luck. Baking powder was brand new. Thoughts?
Olivia says
Hi Nathan! I’m so sorry, I thought I replied to this last week!! 🙁 So strange about your issues with this recipe. Do the layers really not rise at all? How tall are they when they come out and do they dome to the point where you need to level them? (See comment below from Trish). I use this recipe all the time (or versions of it, but basically the same ratios) and never have issues. They layers aren’t super tall — but should be 1-1.5″ or so. You could try adding a bit of baking soda (1/2 tsp) and see if that helps?
Nathan says
Thanks for replying Olivia. I’ll try some baking soda next time.
I used a flour nail so I didn’t get much done and the layers were around half to 3/4 of an inch. I was guessing because it didn’t rise they were also more dense.
I can confirm Champagne simple syrup is awesome, been doing it a while – though I doubt the alc cooks out, maybe it does.
If soda doesn’t fix it I’ll just have to multiply the recipe.
Olivia says
I’ve actually increased the amounts in my more recent “white” cakes to yield taller layers overall. You can try using the cake recipe from here, minus the Kahlua and swap the buttermilk for champagne:
https://livforcake.com/kahlua-cake/
Actually, it might be easier if I just post the measurements:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 large egg whites room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pink champagne or sparkling wine room temperature
Let me know what you end up trying and how it goes!
Sheila says
Hello,
I dont bake often and only own two cake pans, one is 8 inches another is 6″ and both are a bit taller than the standard ( 3″). They make for a small tier cake in my imagination 🙂
Should i go out and buy another pan for this recipe or am i good to try this in two, different sized pans. I’ve had a ‘too small pan’ baking disater already that i’d like to avoid repeating.
Thanks in advance.
Olivia says
Hi Sheila! I think your pans should work fine, but the baking time will differ between them, so just keep that in mind 🙂
Nadine says
Hi thanks for the recipe. I have just made it – still to try the cake but the buttercream seemed too runny. There is no way I could pipe it. Do you know what I have done wrong? It was stiff until I added the butter. Thanks.
Olivia says
Hi Nadine! If the meringue was stiff when you added the butter then either 1) your meringue was too warm still and melted the butter or 2) your butter was too soft. Either way though, sticking it in the fridge for 20mins and re-whipping should fix it 🙂
Avery says
Could this be made completely ahead of time and frozen? If that’s possible, do you know how long a cake that size would take to defrost? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Avery! I’ve never frozen an whole cake before but, in theory, yes, that should work! My guess would be 5-6 hours at room temperature to defrost. I hope that helps!
Lauren says
How many cupcakes do you think this would make? I’m making this recipe for a friend’s baby shower tomorrow and I want to make sure I have enough for everyone 🙂 thanks in advance!
Olivia says
HI Lauren! Sorry for the delayed reply. MY guess would be maybe around 16 cupcakes?
Ericka says
If I made this into cupcakes, how long would I bake them for? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Ericka! Start checking them at 15mins or so. Let me know how they turn out!
Kim says
Maybe I’m reading the directions wrong but do I add the champagne to the egg/butter mixture? When it says alternate between flour mixture and champagne, it seems the champagne is still alone, in which case when do I add the eggs/butter mixture?
Also, what does it mean when you refer to a toothpick to add the color gel????
Olivia says
Hi Kim! You alternate adding the flour and champagne to the butter mixture. For the color gel – I stick a toothpick in it to grab a bit of color then dip the toothpick in the cake batter/frosting to transfer the color. I hope that helps!
Linda says
Your cake looks gorgeous! Great photo shoot. I made this for my son’s wedding rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately the layers we’re extremely thin even though I used 6″ cake pans. I was very disappointed; Mine did not look anything like your photos. Perhaps I should have doubled the recipe. I ended up using a different cake recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Linda! I’m so sorry to hear about your layers!! 🙁 They should be about 1-1.5″ thick. They’re not super tall layers, but they should not be extremely thin :\
Sandy says
Hi. I’ve made this cake two times and it’s delish. I want to try making it with our champagne is that possible. Can I just omit it or do I have to substitute it with something else? Hoping to make this cake thus afternoon.
Olivia says
Hi Sandy! I usually make this recipe with buttermilk, so I would use that in place of the champagne. Or regular milk if you don’t have buttermilk handy, but I love it with buttermilk myself!
Joyce says
The photos look stunning, which motivated me make the cake today.
The texture is great, but somehow the cake tasted a little plain…more like a flavorless butter cake. =(
Do you think it is the pink champagne?! I used a Rosé.
Olivia says
Hi Joyce! That is super weird as I thought mine almost tasted *too much* like champagne, hmm. The stuff I used was a sparkling rosé.
Joyce says
Thanks for the reply! I think it might be the selection of champagne.
Will def. give it another go with sparkling rose! =D
Olivia says
Good luck! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Antionette Henry says
Hi the cake looks delicious! Can I make cupcakes using the exact recipe? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Antionette! This should turn out fine as cupcakes. let me know how you like it!
Chelsea Talley says
Hi Olivia,
I plan on making this for a bridal shower next weekend, but wanted to know if I could make the icing a head of time? I was actually thinking of making it this weekend, but didn’t know if it would hold till next weekend. What are your thoughts/advice?
Thanks!!
Olivia says
Hi Chelsea! In theory, the frosting *should* be fine if you refrigerate it until the following weekend then bring it back to room temperature. You’ll need to rewhip it and it may separate a bit, in which case, just keep whipping. There is a small chance it will turn into something that looks like curdled soup (lol, lovely right?). I had this happen to me once and thought it was a lost cause but I managed to save it! Turns out the frosting was still a bit too cold when I went to whip it which is what caused the issues. I grabbed my hair dryer (for real) and heated the side of the bowl a bit while it was mixing. Then I walked away for 5 mins and hoped for the best. Miraculously, it came back together into the most perfect fluffy frosting! Sorry, that was some major rambling…in short, it will work, you might just need to get it to be pretty again once you thaw :). I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Ale says
Hi Olivia!
This recipe looks amazing, and the cake came out beautifully! I’m excited to make this for my friend’s birthday. I have a question though. I only have two 9in cake pans. I noticed your comment to Q said to make 1.5x the recipe. I’m having trouble converting how much pink champagne I would need, as well as the amount of egg whites.
Could you help me out? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Ale! If you 1.5x the recipe it’s about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of champagne and 4.5 egg whites (135g). I hope that helps!
Caity says
Hey! Love this cake, about to make it honestly haha room temp or cold champagne for this? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Caity! Sorry for the delayed reply… room temp is best!
Stephanie says
Hi Olivia! I’d like to make this cake for a tasting. I have 5″ rounds and only need two layers for the tasting. Do you think making a half recipe would be sufficient for 2 5″ layers?
Olivia says
Hi Stephanie! Changing pan size is always a challenge and I’ve never made smaller than 6″… The layers are fairly thin in general, so I would recommend 2/3 of the recipe for ease of reducing it. Should work fine!
Cindy Rodriguez says
This is absolutely gorgeous! I can’t wait to try this out and of course, it always gives me an excuse to have a little bubbly.
Olivia says
Thank you! I hope you like it 🙂
Fatima says
Hi! One question. When you do the buttercream who do you mix the egg whites until the are nougat point or just mix a little?
Olivia says
Hi Fatima! I’m not totally sure I understand your question — you whip the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy and then add the room temperature butter 🙂
Rebecca Blackwell says
A cake that tastes like champagne is SO my kind of recipe! And it’s so pretty I can hardly stand it. I think this cake might just make an appearance at our house on Mother’s Day. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Olivia says
Hi Rebecca! I hope you try this one. Please let me know how you like it!! 🙂
Jeanne Chappell says
I want to make this for my daughters next birthday in July, it looks so beautiful.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Jeanne! I hope you like it 🙂
Patti says
I would love to try this! What is the best champagne or sparkling wine to use? I also plan on a strawberry cream cheese icing.
Olivia says
Hi Patti! I’m not an expert on sparkling wine or champagne, but this is the one I used: http://www.martini.com/content/martini/us/en-us/home/products/martini-rose.html
Strawberry cream cheese frosting would go really well with this cake! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Renee says
Can’t wait to make this for my sister-in-law’s birthday in April! Pink & bubbles are her thing! Non cake-related, where did you get the gorgeous dessert plates?
Olivia says
Thanks Renee! I hope you like it 🙂 I got the plates at Anthropologie.
Q says
Do you think that I could do this recipe, but use two 9 inch cake pans instead of three 6 inch cake pans?
Olivia says
Hi there! I think the layers would be too thin — they’re already fairly thin as it is! for two 9″ I would 1.5x the recipe.
Q says
Thank you! I will try that!
Q says
Also, should I sift the flour and baking soda before mixing?
Olivia says
I don’t bother sifting, but I do whisk them together well.
Sandy H says
Gorgeous! Laughing at the photo shoot mental images, but the pics are wonderful. As soon as I saw the photo, I knew I was going to have to attempt this beauty!
Olivia says
Thanks Sandy! I hope you like it 🙂
Samantha says
How long would you suggest baking for cupcakes? 🙂 this cake looks absolutely lovely!
Olivia says
Thanks Samantha! I would suggest 15-20mins for cupcakes 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!
Nila @ The Tough Cookie says
Hi Olivia, I LOVE the look of this cake! The pink color is beautiful! And don’t worry about the photos, they look great. I ALWAYS struggle with white on white photos. My white backgrounds always come out gray and whatever white food I’m photographing just turns into one white blob! But your cake looks amazing 😉
Olivia says
Thanks so much Nila! I have that problem too with the grey backgrounds, so frustrating! I’m glad the pics still look ok though! 🙂
Hannah says
THANK YOU! This recipe was super detailed and easy to follow- the cake tasted SO GOOD and was a huge hit. Several friends asked for the recipe and I shared your site- my NEw Years resolution is to bake more and this was the perfect kick-off to the year!
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! I’m so glad you and your friends liked this recipe. And yay for baking more!! 😀
Cheryl says
I am getting ready to make this but don’t see where to put the vanilla in the frosting. I see it in the ingredients list but not the instructions.
Olivia says
Ack! Good catch. Just add it in after you add the butter 😊 I’ll update the recipe!
Vanessa says
This is an awesome recipe – thanks for sharing! I’m actually going to attempt to make this but in cupcake form for NYE tomorrow night. Do you think if I made the cake/cupcakes this evening and then left them out to ice them in the PM tomorrow, they would taste too dry? Is that the correct way to store them? Thanks again! 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Vanessa! I would store them in something airtight if you can. If you just leave them out they will dry out :\. You could try covering them completely with a large tea towel — that might help if you don’t have an airtight container. Or draping them with plastic wrap. Or both? 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!
Eliza says
I do not drink alcohol, but this cake is beautiful! Do you think this could work by replacing the champagne with sparkling grape juice?
Olivia says
Hi Eliza! That should totally work just fine :). Let me know how you like it!
Kylie says
Eliza,
Did you get a chance to try the sparkling grape juice? I want to make this for my daughter’s 16th bday party but don’t want the alcohol in it. Please let me know how it turned out.
Thanks,
Kylie
Lauren says
Also curious about the sparkling substitute! Can you give an update?
Daydreamer says
Wow! I love this cake and the colours! The perfect cake for a New Year’s Eve Party!
Olivia says
Thank you!! 🙂
Lily says
Where did you find the sparkler candles?
Olivia says
Hi Lily! I got them at the dollar store.
Tigger says
I am no baker nor cook. My kiddies always tell me how I’m the best mom at burning food and cakes too. Oh they’re so supportive!! This cake is absolutely STUNNING! It has a vintage elegance about it and I am absolutely going to try making it. I will have to leave out the sparklers or I’ll end up having the fire department here for cake. This is beautiful!!
Olivia says
Haha!! I don’t blame you for wanting to leave off the sparklers ;). Thank you for your sweet comments. I hope you like this cake!
Domonique says
Gorgeous photos! Inspiring recipe!
Olivia says
Thank you so much Domonique! 🙂
Gia says
Help I don’t have 6 inch round , what can I use to replace the cake pans
thanks
Merry Christmas
Olivia says
Hi Gia! What size cake pans do you have?
Tiffany N says
I second her question. I have 8″ and 9.” I had planned on making the full recipe as detailed and then a 1/3 of the recipe. Thoughts?
Olivia says
Hi Tiffany! To confirm – do you have one of each size pan and plan to use both of them?
Tiffany says
No. I have three 8″ and three 9″ pans. I planned to use one size or the other. You’re a dear for your prompt replies! Happy New Year!!🎉🎊
Olivia says
Hi Tiffany! I hope it’s not too late. I think if you double the recipe it should work well for three 8″ pans. Let me know how you like it!
Tiff Nez says
The cake turned out perfect. I did double the recipe for the cake batter and it was exactly correct. The icing doubled was very excessive. I should have left it at the original amount. I used the 8″ cake pans. Thanks again. It was a huge hit!
Olivia says
So glad you liked it and that the doubled recipe worked well 🙂 Funny that there was too much frosting though, hmm. Good to know!
Valentina | The Baking Fairy says
This cake is SUCH a stunner! I’m sorry you had so many difficulties photographing it (literally the definition of #bloggerprobz) but the pictures are amazing. Love love love! I’ll be taking some inspiration from this beauty for sure!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Valentina! 😀
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar says
We are always so much more critical of our own work – this is absolutely beautiful! And hilarious that shot #4 was the one you used with the sparklers. Been there! This cake is perfection!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Lindsay! This means a lot coming from you <3
Samantha | My Kitchen Love says
Love this gorgeous white and pink cake! Can’t wait to make it for NYE!
Olivia says
Thank you!! xoxo <3 :0
Meg | Meg is Well says
I think the pictures came out wonderful! Especially the close up shots-all those white, pink, and gold hues. And I feel you on the intricacies of trying to take pictures by yourself. My photography has gotten a ton easier since I got a remote, but I still have to occasionally get creative (using my foot to press the button while my hands model).
Olivia says
Thanks so much Meg! I’m glad the pics look ok :). I need to get myself a remote — your foot tip is genius, I would totally do that!
Olga says
It is a great idea!!!!!!!!!! i love pink champagne!!!!!!!! I am going to do something similar for the dessert of new years eve!!!!!!!!! you inspired me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks a lot.
Merry christmas from spain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Olivia says
Yay! Thanks Olga 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Merry Christmas! xo