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 flavor 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 flavor 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 extract
- 1 cup pink champagne or sparkling wine, room temperature
- 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.
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
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.