Champagne Cake with Strawberry and Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream.
This delicate, moist Champagne Cake is packed with flavor, filled with strawberries, & iced with Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream. It’s the perfect celebration cake.
Last weekend I receive an email with the following request…
“Good morning. I am looking for a recipe that is as good as your Best Vanilla Cake recipe but for a wedding. The bride would like a (NOT PINK) champagne cake. Your vanilla cake is perfection. How could I modify it to be a champagne cake? Thank you! PS – I have tried the Martha Stewart champagne cake, but it was not nearly as good as your vanilla cake. So, searching the internet is not overly helpful. Thank you for any time and attention you may have to give this matter.”
Like an unexpected gift, I suddenly had the perfect excuse to bake Champagne Cake.
I shut myself in the kitchen all Sunday afternoon baking champagne cake after champagne cake until I had achieved a supremely moist, tender cake laced with the delicate flavor of champagne. My family couldn’t stop eating it. Always a good sign.
To frost and fill the cake, I made one and a half recipes of Italian Meringue Buttercream, flavoring the buttercream with a champagne reduction. Then, I removed about 1/3 of the buttercream and added 1/2 cup of pureed strawberries.
I LOVE the flavor combination of strawberry and champagne. However, the strawberry does mute the champagne flavor in the cake a bit. So, if you’re wanting a stronger champagne flavor, I’d suggest sticking with Champagne Buttercream for both the filling and frosting.
Champagne Cake Recipe Notes
I tested this champagne cake recipe with both sweet and dry champagne. Both are delicious, however the sweeter champagne did contribute a bit more champagne flavor to the cake.
I also played around with how much champagne to add to the recipe. One of the things that makes this Vanilla Cake so yummy is the inclusion of buttermilk, which adds both flavor and moisture to the cake. I wanted to include those qualities in this recipe, while also adding enough champagne so you could actually taste it.
I baked two cakes side by side, one with all champagne, and one with half champagne and half buttermilk. Just like with the vanilla cake, the buttermilk made a huge difference in the consistency of the cake, creating a super moist, tender crumb.
The crumb of the all champagne cake was also moist and tender, but not as much. And honestly, there wasn’t much of a difference in flavor between the two versions. So, half buttermilk and half champagne is the way to go.
If you’ve never made Italian Meringue Buttercream, this cake is the perfect excuse.
I receive comments and emails almost every week that go something like this…
“I’m not sure I’ll ever make another frosting type after this! The salted caramel version is delicious, but I am so impressed with the results of the Italian meringue! Fluffy yet stable, with a super creamy texture and amazing flavor.”
This is EXACTLY how I felt the first time I made a batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream almost 20 years ago, and I’ve rarely iced a cake with anything else since. Even those of you (myself included) who typically don’t like frosting, will love this buttercream. It’s the bomb diggity.
Having said that, there’s nothing wrong with good, old fashioned American Buttercream, which only takes about 5 minutes to make and is silky smooth and flavorful thanks to the additions of butter and heavy cream.
Frequently Asked Reader Questions:
Q: Are the layers of this cake firm enough to be stacked into a 3 tier cake?
A: Absolutely! This crumb of this cake is soft but also sturdy and will hold up well – IF the tiers are properly supported with dowel rods.
Q: I see the you live at a higher altitude than me. Do I need to make any adjustments for baking at low altitude?
A: No adjustment necessary. I’ve heard from readers from all over the world who have baked this cake in all different climates and had success.
Q: What is the proper way to store this cake since it has Buttercream frosting?
A: If the cake is frosted, store it in the refrigerator – no need to cover it. If the cake layers are unfrosted, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Q: Does it matter if I use salted or unsalted butter to make this cake?
A: Contrary to most recipes (and bakers), I almost always use salted butter in baked goods. The reason most recipes call for unsalted butter is to limit the amount of salt in a recipe. However, I believe that most sweet treats benefit from the additional salt, and the salted butter adds such a minimal amount, it’s rarely detected anyway. But, ultimately, this is a matter of taste. Therefore, most of my recipes just say “butter”, leaving it up to the baker to decide. There are a few place where I specify unsalted butter – such as in Italian Meringue Buttercream – because it really does make the buttercream too salty. So – to answer your question: Use whatever butter you have on hand for the cake, salted or unsalted. 🙂 For the buttercream, definitely use unsalted.
Q: Can I use this recipe for cupcakes? What temp and how long? How many cupcakes will the recipe make?
A: Yes! Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes. This recipe will make 24 cupcakes.
Q: How strong is the champagne taste?
A: The champagne flavor is subtle – you can absolutely taste it, but it’s not very strong. To intensify the flavor, I suggest following the option in the recipe for boiling 2 or 3 cups of champagne in a saucepan until reduced by at least half. Brush the tops of the cooled cake layers with the champagne reduction.
Q: Can I use frozen strawberries or should I stick with fresh?
A: Frozen will work just fine, however, I would suggest pureeing a few extra frozen strawberries and then straining the puree slightly before adding it to the buttercream. Frozen strawberries tend to produce a runnier puree than fresh. Straining them a bit will ensure you get a good strawberry flavor in the buttercream without making the buttercream too soft.
Q: What is a good champagne to use?
A: I like to use Korbel – their blanc de noirs is great because it’s on the sweet side with good flavor and generally pretty affordable. Sweeter is better with this cake because the champagne flavor is more pronounced than when using a dryer champagne.
Q: I’d like to make an almond flavored version of this cake. Do you think I can substitute the champagne for Disaronno or almond extract in both the cake and the icing?
A: I think using Disaronno and almond extract in this cake would be delicious. Here’s what I’d suggest: swap out the champagne for the disoranno and the vanilla for the almond extract, using the same amounts of each. Then, taste the cake (after it’s cooled) to decide if you’d like a stronger almond flavor. If you do, simply brush more disoranno over the top of the cake, letting it soak in. To add disoranno to the icing, you won’t need to reduce it on the stovetop, like I suggest for the champagne. Simply beat it in, bit by bit, tasting and paying attention to the icing consistency until you get the flavor to the level of almond that you want. The goal is to get a strong enough almond flavor without adding so much that the icing gets too runny. Adding it a little at a time will allow you that level of control. You could also add a teaspoon or two of almond extract to the icing if you wanted to boost the almond flavor even more.
Q: I sometimes have issues with with the middle of cakes sinking after removing them from the oven. Any tips for me as to how to avoid this?
A: Here are a couple of trouble shooting ideas: 1.) Baking powder loses its leavening power if it’s more than 6 months old. 2.) Over beating once you add the flour. 3.) An inaccurate oven temperature (most oven temperatures are off slightly, so it can be helpful to use an oven thermometer to check it.) 4.) If the cake batter sits out too long before you bake it, that can cause the leavening to loose its power, causing the cake to sink after you remove it from the oven.
Q: If using four 8-inch pans, how much batter should I add to each pan?
A: To use four 8-inch pans, just distribute the batter equally amongst each pan, which will probably mean that each pan is about 1/4 to 1/3 full, depending on how high the sides of your cake pans are.
Q: Could you provide this in metric measurements?
A: 300 grams of butter
475 grams of sugar
420 grams of flour
8 grams of baking powder
2 grams baking soda
9 grams of salt
4 oz (120 ml) champagne
4 oz (120 ml) buttermilk
5 ml vanilla
Used in this champagne cake recipe:
Cake Decorating Kit
More Favorite layer cake recipes:
- The Most Flavorful Vanilla Cake
- Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake
- Funfetti Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake with Blackberry Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream and Caramel Rum Sauce
- Chocolate Blackout Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Classic Red Velvet Cake
- Perfect Devil’s Food Cake
- Perfect Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Caramel Cake with Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Gluten Free Caramel Cake
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Happy baking!
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Champagne Cake with Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 slices
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This delicate, moist Champagne Cake is packed with flavor, filled with strawberries, & iced with Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Ingredients
- 4 whole eggs, separated, PLUS 4 additional egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 cups cake flour (To make cake flour, replace 2 tbsp of flour with cornstarch per cup. So, for this recipe, add all the flour to a bowl, remove 6 tbsp and then add 6 tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup champagne, at room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
*OPTIONAL: 1 additional cup champagne, for brushing over the tops of the baked cake layers. See note at the end of the recipe instructions.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY AND CHAMPAGNE ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:
- 1 or 1 1/2 batches Italian Meringue Buttercream (if you don’t add the pink buttercream swirls on the top of the cake, 1 recipe will suffice)
- 1 cup champagne
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed, pureed in a blender to measure about 1/3 cup
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour three or four 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper that is also slathered with a bit of butter or shortening.
- Separate the 4 whole eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, along with the 4 additional egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form when you lift the whisk from the beaten egg whites. Scrape the egg whites into another bowl. Rinse and dry the standing mixer bowl.
- Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl a time or two.
- Add two of the egg yolks and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining two egg yolks, beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds, and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and mix with a wire whisk just to combine.
- In a large measuring cup, stir together the champagne, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Beating on low speed, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the liquid, in 4 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat on low to medium speed, just long enough to incorporate each new addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pans. If baking 3 layers, bake for 30-40 min. If baking four layers, bake for 25-30 minutes. The cakes will be golden brown, be pulling away from the sides of the pan, and will not jiggle in the center when you shake the pan slightly. To check for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center of one of the layers. Remove the toothpick and look for signs of raw batter. If only cake crumbs stick to the toothpick, the cake is done. You can also scoop a tiny amount of cake from the center of one of the layers to check for doneness. (You’ll be covering the cake with frosting anyway.)
- Let the cakes cool on wire racks for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently turn them out of the pans onto the wire racks to cool completely. If you don’t plan on frosting the layers immediately, wrap each tightly with plastic wrap. The layers can be stored at room temperature for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.
NOTE: For a stronger champagne flavor, pour 1 cup champagne into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the champagne is reduced to 1/3 cup. Brush the tops of the cooled cake layers with the champagne reduction.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY AND CHAMPAGNE ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:
- Pour 1 cup champagne into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the champagne is reduced to ½ cup. Allow to cool completely and then slowly beat into a prepared batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream.
- Remove about 2/3 of the buttercream from the mixing bowl. Add the pureed strawberries to the remaining buttercream and beat until completely incorporated.
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Hi…. Im new to your site and can’t wait to try your recipes.
Everything sounds great. When reading the vanilla cake recipe I was a little confused. Are The directions for regular baking conditions? I was not sure was low altitude meant. I have heard of high altitude. thanks for your help with this. 🙂
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Hi Susan! Thank you so much for the kind words! To answer your question… I live in Colorado at around 5000 feet above sea level. As such, I always try to caution people living at much lower altitudes, especially in super humid climates, that some adjustments might need to be made. However, I can tell you that I’ve received comments from people all over the world who’ve told me that they’ve baked the vanilla cake and it’s turned out well. If you don’t mind me asking, what part of the country (or the world) do you live in?
Hi,
What is the proper way to store this cake since it has Butter Cream frosting?
I haven’t tried the cake yet (just made it last night) but I will giving it a rating as soon as I do!
Thank you!
Hi Andrea! If the cake is frosted, store it in the refrigerator – no need to cover it. If the cake layers are unfrosted, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake after you taste it! xo
Hi Rebecca, I live in Colorado also, has your recipe already been adjusted for high altitude. My daughter is getting married September 2018. She sent this link to me. I’m going to make her wedding cake. Happy New Year to you!!!
Happy New Year to you! And, congratulations to your daughter! All the recipes on this blog have been developed at high altitude, so if you’re in Colorado as well, you should be good to go. My suggestion would be to make half the recipe just to test it out in your own kitchen just to be sure. But, if it works in my kitchen, it should work in yours. Please let me know if you run into any problems with the recipe or have any other questions. It’s wonderful that you’re making your daughter’s wedding cake! xo
Hi Rebecca!
I am new to your site and had planned to use your Champagne cake recipe to surprise my son for his birthday (tomorrow)… I have my ingredients ready to go by stopped short of putting it together. I asked myself “I wonder if she uses salted or unsalted butter”. Can you help with clarification? I’m not going to take another step because I want my result to be as tasty as yours. Thank you in advance!
Hi Felicia! Thanks for the question. Contrary to most recipes (and bakers), I almost always use salted butter in baked goods. The reason most recipes call for unsalted butter is to limit the amount of salt in a recipe. However, I believe that most sweet treats benefit from the additional salt, and the salted butter adds such a minimal amount, it’s rarely detected anyway. But, ultimately, this is a matter of taste. Therefore, most of my recipes just say “butter”, leaving it up to the baker to decide. There are a few place where I specify unsalted butter – such as in Italian Meringue Buttercream – because it really does make the buttercream too salty. So – to answer your question: Use whatever butter you have on hand for the cake, salted or unsalted. 🙂 For the buttercream, definitely use unsalted. I hope that answers your question! Happy birthday to your son and please let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Thank you Rebecca! I really appreciate the clarification… I’m that baker that normally uses BUTTER without consideration — I have just become aware of the importance for the benefit of taste. I just love butter! Know that I have a better understanding I plan to start my journey to an amazing cake in the A.M.!
Thanks again!!
Mmmmmmm…. butter. 😋😊 Let me know how the cake comes out for you!
Thanks for the followup Rebecca! The cake was awesome… I got an “Oh Damn!” after the first bite. I will definitely make another one! Your instructions were on-point along with hints and tips. I did experience curdling with the buttercream but followed your directions (which gave me loads of confidence). The outcome was a beautiful, tasty desert fit for a king. Thanks again for your help it is greatly appreciated!
I am so happy that the cake turned out well for you and that everyone liked it! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xo
Hello
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes? What temp and how long?
I’ve never made this cake as cupcakes, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Most cake recipes translate well to cupcakes. I’d assume this one won’t be any different. Bake them at 350 degrees. My guess is that they’ll take around 18-20 minutes to bake. But, maybe give them a peak at 15 minutes, just to be sure. Let me know if you have any questions, and how they turn out! Happy Baking! xo
I just made this recipe as cupcakes for a wedding shower this weekend! They were such a hit! I made them according to the recipe, and I live in Houston, TX where the elevation is low and the humidity is high. At 350 degrees, they were done in 14-15 minutes. I piped on the champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream and dusted with gold sugar. Beautiful! Thanks for this recipe and helping me look like a baking rock star.
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Thank you Jessica! Your cupcakes sound beautiful. Do you have a picture? I’d love to see them!
Hi! This cake looks amazing and I’d like to use it for an upcoming party. However I was asked for a 6” cake. About how many layers do you think I’d end up with? 4? 5? And what do you think the baking time would be for the smaller pans? Perhaps check on it after 20 minutes?
Also I’ve never made or worked with an Italian Merengue Buttercream. Does it crust like a regular butter cream? I may have many more questions. Lol 🙂 Thank you!
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Hi Jennifer! So glad you’re going to make this cake. I think you will love it! Since this recipe makes enough batter for three or four 8-inch layers, I’d guess you’ll end up with five or six 6-inch layers. You can always freeze the extra layers – just wrap them in plastic wrap and then in a aluminum foil. You could also make cupcakes with the extra batter.
I’m also super excited that you’re going to try your hand at Italian Meringue Buttercream. It’s been my favorite cake frosting for 20 years for good reason! It doesn’t crust like buttercream at all. It just stays smooth and creamy. You should store a cake iced with Italian Meringue Buttercream in the refrigerator if you’re making it ahead of time. It will be fine to sit out for 6 or 8 hours, but after that (because of all the butter), it should go in the fridge.
I don’t mind your questions! Keep ’em coming! And pleeeeeeeaaaaaase let me know how your cake comes out. xo
hi! looking forward to trying this recipe – do you think the layers could be firm enough to be stacked into a 3 tier cake? the only other champagne cake i have made was tall, but quite soft and springy. trying to do my research before baking enough for 3 tiers… 🙂
Hi there! Yes – these layers are definitely firm enough to stack into a 3-tiered cake. No problem. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Also, I’d love to hear what you think of this cake after making it! xo
Yes, I definitely will! What would you recommend I multiply the recipe by for 10″ layers?
Hi there, I am going to make this cake for my wedding. I am making a 6, 8, and 10″ tier 3″ deep. What should I multiply this recipe by? Also any suggestions on what champagne to use?
First of all – Congratulations! I’m super impressed that you’re making your own wedding cake! I think you’ll need three batches of this recipe for your cake. However, I’d suggesting mixing the batter one batch at a time, unless you are able to bake all the layers at once. As soon as you mix the batter baking powder and baking soda begin working to leaven your cake. Letting the batter sit too long before baking might result in a cake that doesn’t rise as it should. Also, the egg whites in this recipe also help to create fluffy layers. Some of the air in the egg whites might deflate if the batter sits too long before baking, also resulting in a cake that doesn’t rise as well. So, I’d suggest planning to make three batches total, but making the batter batch by batch.
For the champagne, I like Korbel. I feel that it’s a great price for the quality. Even though I prefer drinking dry champagne, sweet champagne contributes a bit more flavor to this cake. So, I’d suggest choosing Korbel Extra Dry. But, Brut works too.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I would LOVE to see a picture of the cake! xo
Hello,
Your cake sounds amazing just as it’s printed but I’m wondering if it’s possible to add a cup of strawberry purée and perhaps a box of strawberry jello to the basic mix, for a more intense strawberry champagne sponge. What do you think?
Hi Sheila! I think adding a box of strawberry jello would be fine (and probably delicious!), but adding strawberry puree would most likely add too much moisture to the cake, resulting in a cake without enough structure to hold itself up, or even rise properly. I also think adding strawberry puree would overpower the champagne flavor completely. I’d suggest cutting the recipe in half and adding some strawberry jello to the batter to bake a smaller cake just to test the flavor. Then if you want more strawberry flavor, add it in the filling and frosting. Also, as an aside, if you’re looking for a strawberry cake, this is my favorite: https://ofbatteranddough.com/fresh-strawberry-cake-pistachio-buttercream/
Happy Baking! And, let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Can this be made as a sheet cake? I’m wanting to do it as a 2 layer 1/2 sheet cake (13 × 18) for a wedding shower. I’m guessing I’ll need to double cake & icing but not sure on how long to bake.
Also, how strong is the champagne taste?
Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
Hi Gayla! This recipe will definitely give you enough batter for one sheet cake layer – perhaps with a cup or so of batter left over. If you’re baking the layers one at a time, I’d suggest mixing the batter for each layer separately rather than doubling it. When batter sits out for a while before baking, you can end up with a cake that doesn’t rise well. I would also suggest a double batch of buttercream – but, again, make the buttercream one batch at a time, mostly because that’s all a 6 quart mixer can handle. I haven’t baked this cake as a sheet cake, so I’m not totally sure of the time, but I’d take a peek at it after 30 minutes, then check it every 5 minutes after that.
The champagne flavor is subtle – you can absolutely taste it, but it’s not very strong. To intensify the flavor, I suggest boiling 2 or 3 cups of champagne in a saucepan until reduced by at least half. Brush the tops of the cooled cake layers with the champagne reduction.
Please let me know if you have any questions! Also – I’d love to see a picture of the cake after you make it, if you’re so inclined. Happy baking! xo
Hi Rebecca!
I am getting ready to make this cake for a 60th wedding anniversary vow renewal ceremony on Thursday. I am going to try a test run tonight, but I have a question about alterations for 1200 ft altitude as I live in The Berkshires, MA. What should I do differently? Thank you, Melissa
Hi Melissa! I don’t think you’ll need to change the recipe at all. Let me know how the test run goes?
Melissa- hello to fellow Western Massachusetts (Berkshire Hills) baker! I just found this recipe and would love to know how it turned out. The recipe is so well written and sounds as lovely to taste as to look at.
Let us know!
Hi Rebecca,
Could you provide this in metric measurements? As due to the different conversions online, I’m not sure if 1 cup equates to 250g or 224g? Also, will this be enough or too much for 12 standard size cupcakes?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you with this information, but here you go…
300 grams of butter
475 grams of sugar
420 grams of flour
8 grams of baking powder
2 grams baking soda
9 grams of salt
4 oz (120 ml) champagne
4 oz (120 ml) buttermilk
5 ml vanilla
Also – this recipe will probably make at least 24 cupcakes. If you only need 12, cut the recipe in half or freeze the extra cupcakes for another day.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy baking! xo
Thanks so much for getting back Rebecca! 🙂
So happy I’ve found this, I’ll be trying it next week for my aunties angagement party cake!
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I’m so happy you found this too! So happy you’re planning to make this for your aunties engagement party. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way, and, if you think about it, send over a picture of the cake. I’d love to see it! Happy baking! xoxo
All finished. Not sure how to send the pic tho, tastes amazing x
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I’m so glad it turned out Ryan! If you want, you can send a picture to rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com. I would love to see it!
Just sent you the pic now 😀 thanks again!!!
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Hi Rebecca,
This sounds delicious!! I’m planning to make this base cake for my friend’s wedding but want to add some mousse filling cause she loves my fruit mousses. I usually make mango/strawberry/raspberry mousse. Do you think strawberry or raspberry mousse filling would work with this cake? Thanks!
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Hi Nayana! I think either strawberry or raspberry mousse filling will be absolutely delicious! If you use fresh fruit in the mousse, I’d suggest going with whichever berries look better at the market, because either option is a good one. If you think about it, I’d love to hear what you think of this cake after you bake it. And, I’d really love to see a picture of the cake if you wouldn’t mind sending one to me! Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy baking! xo
Hi Rebecca,
Can I use frozen strawberries or should i stick with fresh?
thank you!!
Hi Trina! Frozen will work just fine, however, I would suggest pureeing a few extra frozen strawberries and then straining the puree slightly before adding it to the buttercream. Frozen strawberries tend to produce a runnier puree than fresh. Straining them a bit will ensure you get a good strawberry flavor in the buttercream without making the buttercream too soft. Please let me know if you have any other questions and I’d love to hear how your cake comes out! xo
What is a good champagne to use? The recipe sounds delicious..thanks
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Hi Vicki! I like to use Korbel – their blanc de noirs is great because it’s on the sweet side with good flavor and generally pretty affordable. Sweeter is better with this cake because the champagne flavor is more pronounced than when using a dryer champagne. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to know what you think of this cake after making it! xo
I started making this recipe and realized you don’t add sugar when whipping the egg whites so they come out a bit foamy. Is this normal or did I maybe miss something? I am excited to see how this cake turned out !
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Hi Angela! How did the cake come out for you?
It turned out delicious! Very tender and tight crumb like angel food. Mine isn’t as yellow as yours though, maybe just different yolks. The champagne flavor wasn’t strong in the cake but the champagne buttercream did the trick! Overall very good!!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake! It is difficult to get enough champagne flavor in the cake while also maintaining that light and tender crumb. One thing I like to do is reduce some additional champagne in a saucepan so that it’s like a champagne flavored syrup and then brush that over baked cake layers to give the cake a bit more champagne flavor. And, as you said, the champagne buttercream also helps. Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that this cake came out well for you! I really appreciate it! xo
Delicious cake! I have made multiple batches of this cake over the last few weeks practicing for a wedding. I didn’t have luck with the imbc so I am making an american champange buttercream instead. I am also doing it as a semi-naked cake and am wondering about baking it in my brand new Instant Pot. Have you tried this? I am noticing a fairy thick crust (from the large amount of sugar I am guessing) that breaks off when torting. Which doesn’t look very nice with such minimal frosting. Thoughts?
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Hi Jen! I’ve never tried baking a cake in an Instant Pot, so I don’t really have any advice for you there. However, to soften the crust, and boost the champagne flavor, I’d suggest brushing the layers with a champagne reduction. Simply pour 1 cup champagne into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the champagne is reduced to ⅓ cup. Brush the tops of the cooled cake layers with the champagne reduction. You might need to make a double or triple batch of the reduction depending on how big your layers are. But, the reduction will certainly soften that crust. I would LOVE to see a picture of the decorated cake, if you’re so inclined to send one to me. 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions! xo
So I made this as a taste tester for my son’s wedding cake last week and it was really good. The layers were thick And held up really well so I think this is the one. I used the icing suggested and added champagne and strawberries to it and the whole thing came together beautifully and it was delicious. However, my daughter in law liked it but prefers an almond cake. Do you think I can substitute the champagne for disoranno or almond extract in both the cake and the icing. I really am just a novice baker, everything I do is trial and error so I need suggestions from someone that knows what they are doing.
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Hi Amanda! First of all – good for you, taking on your son’s wedding cake! He’s lucky to have a mom that will do that for him. 🙂 I think using disoranno and almond extract in this cake would be delicious. Here’s what I’d suggest: swap out the champagne for the disoranno and the vanilla for the almond extract, using the same amounts of each. Then, taste the cake (after it’s cooled) to decide if you’d like a stronger almond flavor. If you do, simply brush more disoranno over the top of the cake, letting it soak in. To add disoranno to the icing, you won’t need to reduce it on the stovetop, like I suggest for the champagne. Simply beat it in, bit by bit, tasting and paying attention to the icing consistency until you get the flavor to the level of almond that you want. The goal is to get a strong enough almond flavor without adding so much that the icing gets too runny. Adding it a little at a time will allow you that level of control. You could also add a teaspoon or two of almond extract to the icing if you wanted to boost the almond flavor even more.
I would LOVE to hear how this turns out for you. Will you let me know? And, please let me know if you have any other questions!
It turned out great. Everyone loved it! Thanks for your help. I wish I could post a pic.
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I’m so glad! Could you email a picture of the cake to me? rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com. I’d love to see it!
I am making a 12 inch round cake.One batch is not enough to fill my 12 x 3 inch pan half way. Can I half the recipe or do I need to make 2 full recipes?
Hi Andrea! You can totally cut the recipe in half to make a half batch or just make 1 & 1/2 batches at once. Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy baking! xo
I loved the cake, it was very beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
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You’re most welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I’d love to see the cake… if you’re so inclined to share, could you send a picture to rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com? Thank you!
Hi!!! I have made this cake a few times and it’s been a HUGE HIT every time! I am now doing this in sheet cake size for my best friend’s wedding this weekend. I do have an issue with the middle sinking after cooling – any tips for me as to how to eliminate that middle sinking? I could see it possibly not cooking out as well as the edges… thoughts? A little nervous of the middle sinking in a much longer cake (which may cook beautifully, who knows!)
Thanks for the marvelous cake!!!
Hi there! I’m so glad you like this recipe! So sorry – I see that you posted this comment on Friday. It’s Sunday already, so have you already baked the sheet cake? I think you’ll actually have better luck baking this as a sheet cake – sheet cakes rarely sink in the middle. Regardless, I’d love to helps solve the sinking problem. Here are a couple of trouble shooting ideas: 1.) Baking powder loses its leavening power if it’s more than 6 months old. 2.) Over beating once you add the flour. 3.) An inaccurate oven temperature (most oven temperatures are off slightly, so it can be helpful to use an oven thermometer to check it.) 4.) If the cake batter sits out too long before you bake it, that can cause the leavening to loose its power, causing the cake to sink after you remove it from the oven.
I hope that helps! Will you let me know how the sheet cake comes out for you? xo
Hello, trying this today. I beat the eggs and then did the batter when it was time to put eggs in batter when I started putting them in the batter there was water at the bottom of the bowl where the eggs where.. is that normal??
Hi Julie! It should be fine – the liquid in the bottom of the bowl is probably just egg white that didn’t get beaten. Just make sure to stir everything together so all the ingredients are fully incorporated and it should be fine. Keep me posted! And, let me know if you have any other question. Happy baking!
Hi Rebecca, I made this cake back in October and it was a huge hit. I will be making it again for an upcoming baby shower. I wanted to know if I could replace the champagne with sparkling apple cider? Do you think, I would get a similar taste? Or leaving the recipe as is, would be just fine. The mother to be will be about to give birth or would have given birth at that time. Also there might be children at the shower. Thanks for your reply and thanks for the recipe.
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Hi Angela! I think using sparkling apple cider will be DELICIOUS and I really don’t see any reason why it won’t work to swap out one for the other. However, baking is a finicky business and I’ve been wrong enough to know that testing a change is always a good idea. I’d suggest cutting the recipe in half and doing a test run before you bake the cake for the shower. The one concern that I have is that the apple cider will make the cake overly sweet. I think the sweetness difference between cider and champagne will be negligible. But, it never hurts to be sure. Will you keep me posted about how this comes out? xo
Thanks for your response. Yes I definitely will.
Hi Rebecca!
I am planning to make this delicious sounding cake today and wondering what type of adjustments I may need to make where I live. I am in Charlotte NC and it’s pretty hot and humid here! In the low 90’s with humidity in the 90%. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi there! First of all, I LOVE North Carolina and wish I could just hop on a plane and join you in baking this cake. 🙂
I don’t think you’ll need to make any adjustments. Another reader who lives in North Carolina made this cake recently and didn’t have any issues. One caveat – the reader I was just talking about lives in an air conditioned house, which helps control the humidity in her kitchen. If your house isn’t air conditioned, I might try reducing the amount of liquid in the batter slightly to compensate for the extra moisture in the air. Try reducing both the buttermilk and champagne by 1 tablespoon. You also might need to extend the baking time. Check the cake at the recommended time in the recipe, but then you might need to allow it to bake for an extra 5 minutes or so.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to hear how this cake comes out for you! xo
Champagne cake: the best cake batter I have ever sampled waiting to taste the actual cake. I’m a new baker your cake is number 5 in my life from scratch. I only had 2 8” pans so I did that and a few cupcakes. I used my baking strips the color is great but… 1. One of the layers fell in the middle any clue why? 2. What’s your best advise to make sure even amounts are in each pan? 3. My oven is ancient and bakes off heat and temp. So I bake at 325. Any advice on time for 2 8 inch pans? Thanks looking forward to learning more about baking from your site. Thank you.
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Hi Melinda! First of all, I’m so glad you’re diving into baking! I’ve found it to be one of the most rewarding skills I’ve ever engaged in. I hope you do as well. There are a number of reasons why a cake can fall in the center while baking. And sometimes figuring it out is tricky. In your case, I’m guessing that it’s due to uneven temperatures inside your oven. Cakes can fall if they bake at too low of a temperature, and sometimes just a few degrees can make a difference. I recently published a recipe for Devil’s Food Cake that calls for the layers to be baked at 325 – which, for those cakes, helps them bake up into nice, even, flat layers. But, just a few degrees lower, and the layers would be in danger of baking too slowly and sinking in the middle. Since you said your oven temp is off, and just one of the layers fell, my guess is that there are spots in your oven where the temperature is too low when you set the dial to 325.
Next time, I’d suggest baking them one layer at a time. This is also tricky, because in general, you want to get cakes in the oven as soon after mixing as possible. But, since you’re dealing with a touchy oven, I’d suggest putting one pan in the oven at a time – put the other pan with the raw batter in the refrigerator to slow down the leavening agents and preserve the air you’ve beat into the batter from escaping. Let me know if that works? Sometimes baking is a whole lotta trial and error! 🙂
Regardless, feel free to reach out and ask as many questions as you like on this recipe or any other. Happy baking! xo
Such a beautiful tasting frosting and cake! Thanks!
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I am so glad you liked this recipe Kimberly! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xo
Excellent cake!! My batter was very fluffy and had a hard time folding in all of the egg whites. Is this normal? If using 4 8 inch pans, how much batter or how high should it be on each pan and how deep of pans please?
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I’m so glad you liked this recipe Beth! Folding the egg whites into the batter can be challenging because the batter is pretty thick. Just be as gentle as you can and it should be fine. To use four 8-inch pans, just distribute the batter equally amongst each pan, which will probably mean that each pan is about 1/4 to 1/3 full, depending on how high the sides of your cake pans are. Does that answer your question? Please let me know if you have any more! xo
Great recipe! I made this last weekend and it turned out great! Everyone I served it to loved it!
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Thank you so much Fred! I am so happy to hear that this cake turned out well for you! xo
This is such a great recipe! I’ve made it three times now, for three different events, and it’s always a hit. The champagne flavor is subtle and delicious – exactly the right balance.
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Hi Rebecca.
I made the pink champagne cake with Italian meringue buttercream – the flavors were WONDERFUL!
But, I baked the cake at 350 for 30 minutes and didn’t check the cake during that time – my bad! – and the cakes were over baked, dry and sunk in the middle. Afterwards, I did check the oven temp, and the thermometer does appear to affirm that oven is heating properly.
I’m in Denver, and was wondering if you might be able to troubleshoot where I went wrong, or point me in a better direction for next time?
Thank you so much, and thank you for such a terrific recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Tia! Thanks so much for reaching out! Often, if cakes sink in the middle, it has to do with the amount of air that’s been incorporated into the batter. Too much or too little air – both can cause a cake to sink. And, once sunk, it’s easy for the cake to over bake. Since, in this recipe, much of the air in the batter is incorporated through the beaten egg whites, I’m guessing that might be where the problem was. Next time, try this: take about 1/4 cup of the sugar in the recipe, and beat it into the egg whites. When the egg whites are frothy and soft peaks form, slowly pour the sugar in while beating. Then, keep beating until stiff peaks form. The sugar will help stabilize the egg whites and ensure that the right amount of air gets trapped in there.
Another thing you can try is to bake the cake at 325 instead of 350. For whatever reason, it sounds like your cake is baking a bit too quickly. Reducing the oven temperature slightly can help the cake rise more evenly and guard it from over baking.
If you try these tips and the cake turns out better next time, will you let me know? One of the best things about blog recipes is how easily they can be changed based on reader feedback. If this works better for you, I’ll add a couple of notes in the recipe so others can benefit from the information as well.
One more thing to mention just in case – if you accidentally add too much flour, that can also cause a cake to sink in the middle and over bake. This is easy to do if your flour has been sitting for a while. It compresses on itself in the container, and when you scoop it out, you’ll end up with too much flour. If you think this might possibly be happening to you, just take a wire whisk and stir your flour around a bit before measuring.
Thanks again for reaching out! Please let me know how it goes – and if you have any more questions!xo
aha! Yes, I do think the egg whites were over beaten! Thanks so much for the tips and I will absolutely be making this cake again!
Hello!
Thank you so much for taking the time to develop and share your recipe! I made the cake but it didn’t come out quite right. My cake was very dense. I think I may have over whipped the egg white and that is why the cake was so dense.
My problem was the buttercream. When I added the champagne it curdled the buttercream. The buttercream went from smooth to small balls. The champagne was not hot, it was room temperature. How can I add alcohol without curdling the Italian Meringue Buttercream?
Thanks!
Hi Vanessa! Thanks so much for reaching out to me with these questions! First of all, in regards to the cake being too dense, over whipping the egg whites might be the culprit. But, just in case, here are a couple of other things that can contribute to an overly dense cake: Over beating the batter after adding the flour, baking powder that’s gotten old and lost its leavening power, or accidentally adding too much buttermilk.
For the buttercream, the champagne shouldn’t cause any curdling…. my guess is that it was a bit colder than the butter, causing the butter to ball up. Probably, if you would have kept beating it, the butter would hav softened up and it would have been fine. For the most part, continued beating will bring Italian Meringue Buttercream back together. Did you, by any chance, save it? If so, let it come back to room temperature and then let it beat for a solid 5-10 minutes.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if there is any other way I can help! xo
I made this cake yesterday and sampled the parts cut off to even it. It’s for my niece’s wedding cake tasting tomorrow. This cake is perfect! Delicious, not too heavy or crumbly. Moist with hints of the champagne and butter. I have made many scratch cakes and have been sorely disappointed. But this one! It’s so good. So good. I’m making Italian buttercream today. Thank you for this.
I am so happy to hear that you like this cake Michelle! I baked about a million champagne cakes before feeling that the recipe was right. Ok… not a million.But close. 🙂 Please let me know if you have any questions while making the Italian Meringue Buttercream. And congratulations to the bride and groom! xo
Aww..thank you! I will tell them. I posted on the buttercream and rated it with 5 stars. All I can say is ahhhhhhh..my new favorite!!
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Hello Rebecca, I’m from Australia and we don’t have shortening here other than the brick hard variety. Would all butter instead be ok? Or butter and margarine?
Hi Tess! Thanks so much for your question. Yes – just use all butter instead of vegetable shortening. Please let me know if you have any more questions! And, I’d love to hear how this cake comes out for you! xo
I Tagged & hashtagged you on Instagram with a photo.
Thanks Rebecca for the detailed recipe. I made this as a three tiered cake for my 50th Birthday last month and it was really delicious! Moist with a firm density somewhere between a traditional white cake and a tres leches without the milk. Between the layer I made a fresh raspberry coulee that was spread on and then piped with a champagne Italian meringue. Literally there was NOT one piece left. What few pieces I did have were taken by my friends to their significant others and they sent personal thank you’s back because they enjoyed it so much.
Now I am working on a sequel :-). This one for my friends daughters wedding reception. I plan on adding a fourth tier and airbrush the chocolate sails with a gold luster dust. Finger’s crossed!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for tagging me so I could see your cake. It is STUNNING! I mean, absolutely gorgeous. I am so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit as well. I love the idea of filling the layers with raspberry coulee. I can see why everyone loved the combination of champagne cake and raspberries! PLEASE tag me in the post for your friend’s daughter’s wedding because I cannot wait to see it! Chocolate sails with gold luster dust???? Sounds incredible! xo
I made this cake for an anniversary party last weekend and it was such a HUGE hit! There is just enough champagne flavor in the cake and the buttercream to make it taste delicious without being overwhelming. Everyone loved it so much that there wasn’t a crumb left by the end of the part. Thank you for a great recipe!
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I am so happy to hear that everyone loved this cake! There’s no greater compliment to a baker than when there is none left at the end of a party. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I appreciate it more than you know! xo
I’ve made this cake three times now and just had to take a moment to tell you how much I love it. It’s moist and delicious and exactly what I was hoping to get from a champagne cake. Everyone I’ve served it to loves it. Thanks so much for a great recipe! Trying your Devil’s food cake next.
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Hi, I’m looking forward to making this cake to celebrate my sister’s marriage. Problem is, it’s the dead of winter here and the berries aren’t looking so hot. Do you think a chocolate mousse filling would overwhelm the champagne taste, or should I stick with a fruit filling? Thanks for your help!
Hi Kara! Totally understand about fresh berries in the middle of winter… You have a couple of options. You could use frozen strawberries. Let them thaw and then puree just as you would fresh strawberries. You could also use strawberry jam – this is a great option because you won’t have as much liquid as you do with thawed frozen berries. The only problem with the jam is it can be kind of chunky. If you’re only using it as a filling, the chunks of strawberries are perfectly fine. If you’re using it to decorate with, the chunks can be an issue. If you have a small blender or food processor, you can puree the jam. You can also melt it in a saucepan set over low heat and then strain the large strawberry chunks from it. Let it cool completely before adding to the buttercream.
I do think that chocolate mouse might cover up the delicate champagne flavor in this cake. I mean, it would probably still be delicious, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the chocolate swallowed up the champagne flavor. Another good option for this cake is to make white chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream. You’ll see the instructions for adding white chocolate right above the recipe for Italian Meringue Buttercream. The white chocolate flavor is a nice complement to the champagne flavor in the cake without completely covering it up.
Does that help? Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to know what you think of this cake after you bake it! xo
That’s helpful; thank you! I think I will try the jam and we’ll see how it goes!
Hi! I’m hoping to make this cake on the weekend, but was just wondering how long it would need to cook if I did the cake as 2 layers instead of 3? Or would you recommend that I make 2/3 of the recipe instead?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Rina! I would recommend making 2/3 of the recipe – Or, just use the extra batter to make a third layer and freeze it for later. You could also use the extra batter to make a few cupcakes. I’m concerned that if you added all the batter to two pans they might overflow in the oven. The other possibility, with adding all the batter to two pans, is that the outside of the cakes would cook too fast for the inside to bake through.
If you do decide to cut the recipe down, it might be easier to cut it by 25%, making 3/4 of the recipe. I think distributing 3/4 of the batter between two pans should be fine.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy baking! xo
I cannot thank you enough for this amazing recipe! I was really struggling to come up with flavor ideas for my SIL’s 40th birthday cake, then I cane across this recipe. I thought it was original and perfect for a celebration cake around New Years Day and would go perfectly with my planned colors of cream pink and gold. I tasted all the components, and oh man were they good! The cake was perfectly sweet and moist, the champagne buttercream was so smooth buttery and delicious, but my absolute favorite was the strawberry champagne buttercream. I ended up using frozen strawberries bc fresh ones are awful this time of year. I pushed them through a fine mesh sieve and discarded some of the liquid so it wasn’t too wet. I added a tsp of powdered sugar to ensure they’d be as sweet as fresh berries. I also added a tiny pinch of salt to the buttercream which really brought out the flavor of the strawberries. It was absolute perfection! Everyone who ate the cake was raving about it!!!
I also filled some macarons with the champagne buttercream, and my husband (a frosting hater) could not get over how delicious they were!
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Hi Rachel! This comment has just started my week out in the best possible way! I am so happy to hear that you (and your husband and everyone else you shared it with) enjoyed this cake! Adding fruit to the Italian Meringue Buttercream is one of my all-time favorite things to do as well. You were smart to strain it to avoid adding excess liquid to the buttercream and I LOVE that you added salt. I think salt is so underrated in desserts. Most of my recipes contain more salt than is considered “normal”, but I just think it does so much to balance and bring out the other flavors. Adding a pinch to the buttercream was a brilliant move. 🙂
Thank you again for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I appreciate it more than you know! xo
Hi Rebecca–this looks amazing! Love your stuff! Since it was developed for high altitude, do you think I need any changes to it here in STL? I’ve baked other recipes of yours and didn’t think about that, but since you pointed that out in the notes, I figured I’d ask. Thanks…looking forward to trying for Valentine’s Day.
Ellen @tortamore
Hi Ellen! For some reason I just saw this comment today. So sorry to have not seen it sooner. You shouldn’t need to make any adjustments. I get comments and notes from people all over the country about this cake every month and no one has ever seemed to have any issues with altitude. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe! xoxo