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Pink Champagne Cake

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This Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion or holiday! A champagne infused cake with a classic vanilla buttercream.

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.

Close up of cake sparkles on a pink champagne cake.

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). Editing the pics was a nightmare and I’m still not happy with them, but it is what it is.

Cross section of pink champagne cake with vanilla buttercream.

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!

This Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion or holiday!

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.

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.

Three layers of Pink Champagne Cake with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream.

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 throughly 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.

Slice of Pink Champagne Cake.

Notes & tips for this Pink Champagne Cake:

  • If you don’t like the taste of wine/champagne, you may not like the flavour of this cake (shocker, I know).
  • If you want to make the cake in two 8″ pans instead, 1.5x the recipe. You can do this easily by setting the Servings slider in the recipe to 18.
  • 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 2 whole large eggs rather than 3 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!
  • Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips on how to make your buttercream white.
  • To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
 

This Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion or holiday! A champagne infused cake with a classic vanilla buttercream. | livforcake.com
4.79 from 33 votes
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Pink Champagne Cake

This Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion or holiday! A champagne infused cake with a classic vanilla buttercream.
Course Dessert
Type Cake
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 493 kcal
Author Olivia

INGREDIENTS

Pink Champagne Cake:

Vanilla Buttercream:

Assembly:

US Customary - Metric

INSTRUCTIONS

Pink Champagne Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. 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).
  4. Reduce speed and add egg whites one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
  5. Alternate adding flour mixture and champagne, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of champagne). Fully incorporating after each addition.
  6. Add a small amount of Fuschia color gel using a toothpick. Mix to incorporate but try not to overmix.
  7. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
  8. Bake for approx. 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
  9. Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream:

  1. Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
  2. 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).
  3. 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)).
  4. Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and continue to whip until smooth.**

Assembly:

  1. 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.
  2. Frost and smooth the sides. Chill for 20mins.
  3. 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.
  4. Gently press cake sparkles or sanding sugar into the sides and top of the cake.***
  5. Decorate with pink rosettes on top and beads along the bottom if desired.

NOTES

* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.
** 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.

This Pink Champagne Cake is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion or holiday! A champagne infused cake with a classic vanilla buttercream. | livforcake.com

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Comments

  1. 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!,,

    Reply

  2. 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.

    Reply


  3. 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.

    Reply


  4. 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!

    Reply


  6. 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!!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply


  7. 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.

    Reply

  9. 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!

    Reply


  10. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply


  11. Looking forward to making this cake, was wonder would three 8inch cake tin work? Also could I make the buttercream without egg whites?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply


      • I accidentally used 8 inch pans and it turned out too thin. It’s okay though, i made two more and it was perfect.

        Reply

  12. 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!

    Reply

  13. 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!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply


      • 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.

        Reply

        • 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.

          Reply

  14. 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.

    Reply

  15. 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

    Reply

  16. 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!

    Reply

  18. 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?

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  19. 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!

    Reply

  21. 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)?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  22. 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! 💗

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  23. 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

    Reply

  24. 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!

    Reply


      • 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!

        Reply

  25. 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?

    Reply

    • 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 :\

      Reply


  26. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply


  30. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply


  31. 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.

    Reply


  32. 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!

    Reply


  33. 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!

    Reply


  34. 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.

    Reply

  35. After reading the ingredient list and instructions, the sparkling wine amounts differ. I read 1-2/3 cups. Can you clarify?

    Reply


  36. 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.

    Reply


  39. 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!!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply


  40. This recipe was so easy to follow! One question though, my layers turned out super thin, is there anything to remedy that?

    Reply

    • 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? 🙁

      Reply

  41. 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.

    Reply

      • 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?

        Reply

  42. 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?

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply


  44. 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😍😊

    Reply

  45. 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?

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply


  46. 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.

    Reply

  47. 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

    Reply

    • 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! 🙂

      Reply

  48. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  49. 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

    Reply

  50. 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

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply


  51. 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?

    Reply

    • 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?

      Reply

      • 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.

        Reply

        • 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!

          Reply

  52. 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.

    Reply

  53. 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.

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  54. 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!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply


  55. 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!

    Reply

  56. 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????

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  57. 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.

    Reply

    • 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 :\

      Reply


  58. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply


  59. 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.

    Reply

  61. 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!!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  62. 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!

    Reply

  64. 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?

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply


  66. 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?

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  67. 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!

    Reply

  69. 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.

    Reply

  70. 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?

    Reply

  72. 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!

    Reply

  74. 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 😉

    Reply

  75. 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!

    Reply

  77. 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! 🙂

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  81. 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!!

    Reply

      • 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?

        Reply

          • 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!!🎉🎊

          • 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!

          • 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!

          • So glad you liked it and that the doubled recipe worked well 🙂 Funny that there was too much frosting though, hmm. Good to know!

  87. 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).

    Reply

  88. 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

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