Pink Champagne Cake

This Pink Champagne Cake recipe has a moist, tender crumb, is infused with sparkling champagne and covered with creamy vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. This irresistible layered champagne cake is the ultimate dessert for any celebration, but its soft pink-hue makes it especially fitting for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s day, bachelorette parties and baby showers!

✔️ Pink Champagne Cake

We often think of a glass of bubbly as something served on special occasions, holidays or to celebrate personal accomplishments like graduations, engagement parties, wedding showers or baby showers. After you have a bite of this irresistibly light and fluffy champagne cake, you may realize this is definitely a more delicious way to toast any celebration.

✔️ Champagne Cake Ingredients

This easy homemade cake recipe is made with very simple ingredients that are easy to find at any supermarket. For exact amounts, please check the recipe card below.

• Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this layered cake.
• Baking Powder: This makes the cake rise.
• Butter: Creamed butter adds flavor and structure. I use unsalted butter.
• Egg Whites: I use egg whites from large eggs. The egg whites make the cake extra fluffy, light and airy. Room temperature eggs work best.
• Sugar: I use granulated sugar.
• Champagne: You have a few options to make this recipe. You can use pink champagne, blush or regular champagne. Prosecco is also an option as well as sparkling rose wine.
• Other Flavorings: Vanilla extract and salt. I prefer Kosher salt or sea salt.
• Food Coloring: Although you can skip the food coloring, I think the soft pink hue is beautiful. Food color gels are my preference and for this cake I used Americolor soft gel food coloring in fuchsia.
• To Decorate: You can change the sprinkles to match any holiday. I used a mix of pink and gold for Valentine’s day but all white, gold, silver, brown/gold hues and black sprinkles will look beautiful.

🔎 How To Make Champagne Cake From Scratch

• Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and line two 6-inch cake pans. You can also use two (8-inch) cake pans. Check about pan sizes and baking times below.
• Whisk Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
• Cream the Butter: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 3 minutes.
• Add Egg Whites: Beat in the 5 egg whites one at a time letting each egg white fully incorporate before adding the next.
• Add Vanilla: Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
• Add Dry Ingredients and Champagne Into Batter: Alternately add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the champagne into the butter mixture and mix until combined after each addition. Repeat until all have been added. Add a small amount of food color gel and mix just to incorporate.
• Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few dried cake crumbs clinging.
• Cool: Cool completely before frosting.

✔️ Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

My Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe is very silky and smooth and spreads incredibly well on layered cakes. Swiss buttercream is not overly sweet which is the perfect frosting for a dessert cake that can be served for any occasion. As an added bonus, the creamy frosting is stable and can be left at room temperature for a couple of days.

Check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream posts for tips, step by step photos and troubleshooting.

🔎 What Does Pink Champagne Cake Taste Like?

You guessed it. Pink champagne! This luxurious show-stopping cake has a deliciously unique flavor with hints of vanilla, citrus and the bright, refreshing and tangy quality of champagne. The flavor of champagne is light and mild as I don’t reduce the champagne to concentrate its flavor. It also doesn’t taste like alcohol.

🔎 What Kind Of Champagne Should I Buy?

Since you won’t need the entire bottle to make this recipe, I recommend you buy a champagne that you will be happy to drink – or turn into mimosas or bellinis. Pink or blush champagne is ideal to make champagne cake, but regular bubbly works too. Sparkling rose wine is another option if you prefer the taste of wine instead.

🔎 What Size of Cake Pan Should I Use?

• Use three (6-inch) cake pans and bake at 350ºF bake for approximately 35 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few dried cake crumbs clinging. Start checking for doneness after 28 minutes or so.
• Use two (8-inch) cake pans and bake at 350ºF bake for approximately 30 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few dried cake crumbs clinging. Start checking for doneness after 25 minutes or so.
• For standard size cupcakes, bake at 350º F for 18 to 20 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• For a 9×12 sheet pan, bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Start checking for doneness after about 35 minutes.

✔️ Making Ahead, Storage and Freezing

Make Ahead: You can make the cake layers in advance and store them at room temperature, tightly wrapped for 2 days. You can also wrap them and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter or refrigerator before frosting.

Storage: The frosted cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days. Leftover cake stored in an airtight container will keep in the fridge for 5 days.

Freezing: You can freeze the whole cake or cake slices for 2 months. First, freeze the cake unwrapped for about 1-2 hours so the buttercream frosting sets. Then wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn. Thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe adapted from Liv for Cake and Sugar Geek Show

Pink Champagne Cake

5 from 9 reviews

Kathy McDaniel

This Pink Champagne Cake recipe has a moist, tender crumb, is infused with sparkling champagne and covered with creamy vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. This irresistible layered champagne cake is the ultimate dessert for any celebration!

Print Pin

Prep 1 hour hr

Cook 30 minutes mins

Cooling 1 hour hr

Total 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Makes 12 servings

Equipment

• Baking Mixing Bowls Set
• Stand Mixer, Kitchen Aid artisan 3.5 Qt, or a handheld electric mixer
• Parchment Paper Rounds 8-inch

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup unsalted butter,, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 1/2 granulated sugar
• ▢ 5 large egg whites,, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
• ▢ 1 cup sparkling rose wine or pink champagne, or blush
• ▢ Food color gel, (Americolor deep pink or fuchsia)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• ▢ 6 large egg whites
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons pieces and softened
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt

To decorate cake:

• ▢ Sprinkles, (I used rose and gold sprinkle mix)

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease three 6-inch cake pans (please see notes), line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
4. Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and beat in the 5 egg whites one at a time, letting each egg white fully mix into the batter before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
5. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the champagne and beat on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 more of the dry ingredients and the rest of the Champagne. Beat on low speed until combined then, add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
6. Add a small amount of food color gel and mix to incorporate.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans smoothing the tops with a spatula.
8. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few dried cake crumbs clinging. Start checking for doneness after 28 minutes or so.
9. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Place the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl (for convenience, use your stand mixer bowl) and whisk until combined. Making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the simmering water, set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2-3 inches of simmering water at medium-low heat.
2. Whisk the egg whites mixture constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy to the touch, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (unless you are already using it) fitted with the whisk attachment or use a handheld mixer. Beat the mixture over medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture is no longer warm, about 10 minutes.
4. Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium high speed, add the cubed butter one piece at a time and mix until the butter is fully incorporated before you add more butter. Next, add the vanilla and salt and beat for about 40 seconds. The buttercream should be thick and creamy.

To Assemble

1. To assemble the cake, with the help of a serrated knife or cake leveler, remove the domes from the top of the cool cakes so that they’re flat. Place one layer on a plate or cake stand and cover the top with buttercream frosting. Spread the buttercream evenly with an offset spatula.
2. Add the second layer of cake on top, cut surface down. Spread a layer of frosting. Add the third layer and the remaining frosting on the top and around the sides. You can pipe swirls or any other decoration on the top or sides of the cake.

Notes

• Grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper to guarantee perfect removal from the cake pans. For cupcakes, use cupcake liners.
• Cool the cakes completely before assembling or frosting.
• Use room temperature ingredients (including the champagne). The batter ingredients mix more evenly when all the ingredients are at about the same temperature.
• Adding food coloring is optional.

Baking Pan Sizes:

• Use three (6-inch) cake pans and bake at 350ºF bake for approximately 35 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few dried cake crumbs clinging. Start checking for doneness after 28 minutes or so.
• Use two (8-inch) cake pans and bake at 350ºF bake for approximately 30 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few dried cake crumbs clinging. Start checking for doneness after 25 minutes or so.
• For standard size cupcakes, bake at 350º F for 18 to 20 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• For a 9×12 sheet pan, bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes or until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Start checking for doneness after about 35 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 549 kcal, Carbohydrates: 52 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 35 g, Saturated Fat: 22 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 92 mg, Sodium: 425 mg, Potassium: 186 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 34 g, Vitamin A: 1064 IU, Calcium: 54 mg, Iron: 1 mg

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Recipe Summary

It’s time to start planning our Valentine and Galentine events, you’ll need some lovely recipes to serve! Check out these delightful Valentine Sweets and Cocktails, all part of the #ValentineSweets blogging event hosted by Michaela from An Affair from the Heart:

• An Affair from the Heart – Valentine Oreo Bark
• Fresh April Flours – Red Velvet Bundt Cake
• Hostess At Heart – Easy Valentine’s Day Fudge Recipe
• Family Around the Table – Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze
• A Day in the Life on the Farm – Chocolate Cheesecake
• Daily Dish Recipes – Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
• The Fresh Cooky – Red Velvet Donuts
• Devour Dinner – Dessert Charcuterie Board
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal – Copycat Flaky Puffs
• Art of Natural Living – Bailey’s Chocolate Martini
• Jen around the world – Strawberry Mojito Mocktail
• Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Sugar Cookie Bars
• Soulfully Made – Easy Red Velvet Brownies
• The Redhead Baker – Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Layer Cake
• Magical Ingredients – Soft White Chocolate Strawberry Fudge
• Take Two Tapas – Valentine’s Pretzel Hugs
• SueBee Homemaker – Chocolate Cake for Two
• Palatable  Pastime – Strawberry White Hot Chocolate
• The Spiffy Cookie – Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes
• Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks – Pomegranate Moscow Mule
• Books n’ Cooks – French Martini
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice – Nutty M&M Peanut Butter Cup Valentine Cookies