Los Angeles Times Pink Champagne Cake Recipes

PINK CHAMPAGNE CAKE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.**
• 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.

PINK CHAMPAGNE CAKE {SCRATCH RECIPE}

Steps:

• In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
• In another bowl combine the egg whites, champagne, vanilla and vegetable oil. Whisk until blended and set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes. When it is light and fluffy add approximately 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Then add 1/2 of the liquid ingredients mixing until blended. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients. Begin and end with dry ingredients (3 additions of dry and 2 wet). Add the pink color at any time during the mixing of the dry and wet ingredients. *Makes 7 1/2 cups of batter.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean. Cool in baking pans 10 min. then turn out.
• Cream the softened butter until smooth and lightened in color
• Blend in the salt and vanilla
• Gradually add the powdered sugar with the champagne until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Beat at medium speed 3 to 4 minutes. The texture will become very smooth. If you are tinting the entire batch of buttercream light pink, you can add a very small amount of coloring gel while it is mixing.
• This recipe makes approximately 8 cups of frosting.

PINK CHAMPAGNE CAKE

Steps:

• For the pink champagne cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat three 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Combine the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, add one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until the flour is just blended. Combine the Champagne and milk. Beat in half of the Champagne mixture. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the Champagne mixture, ending with flour and incorporating fully. Set aside.
• Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer just until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the batter. Then fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely.
• For the stabilized whipped cream: Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl. Add the powdered milk, vanilla and 6 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar. With an electric mixer, beat the cream until it reaches stiff peaks, adding additional confectioners' sugar if needed for desired consistency. (Makes 2 cups.)
• For the strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream: Place a glass bowl over a saucepan filled with approximately 1 inch of water; bring to a simmer. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl. Cook, whisking constantly, until the egg whites are hot, the sugar is dissolved and the temperature of the mixture has reached about 140 degrees F. (You can test this by rubbing a small amount between your fingers to make sure it's not gritty.)
• Pour the hot egg mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment until the bottom of the bowl is no longer warm and the meringue is thick and glossy, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Slowly add the butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated. The mixture may curdle; keep beating and it will come back together. Continue beating until the mixture is silky and smooth. If it becomes too thin, refrigerate for around 15 minutes and then beat until it comes together.
• Add the pureed strawberries, vanilla extract, salt and a splash of lemon juice. Mix until smooth. (Makes 5 cups.)
• To assemble the cake: Fold the diced strawberries into the stabilized whipped cream, then spread half of the strawberry whipped cream on the top of one cake layer. Place a second cake layer on top of the filling. Repeat with the remaining half of the whipped cream. Place the third cake layer on top of the second. Frost the entire cake, top and sides, with the strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream.

PINK CHAMPAGNE CAKE

Steps:

• Use a box of white cake mix (NO pudding) and substitute champagne - 1/2 to 3/4 cup to replace all of the liquid called for in the cake mix. So if the box says 3/4 cup water replace with 3/4 cup champagne. I did use one that had 1 1/4 cups water and replaced with champagne, just depends on the cake mix brand you buy. The kind of champagne/sparkling wine (pink, white, sweet, dry) used will determine the flavor. I usually just buy the cheap pink sparkling stuff in the grocery store, it's sweet and yummy in this!
• Tint with red food coloring to a soft pink, use a drop at a time, this stuff will stain, probably take about 3 drops.
• Bake cake as instructed on box. I usually make in 9x13-inch pan, but for an elegant layer cake use two 9 round cake pans, a heart pan would be perfect for Valentine's Day!
• Creamy champagne frosting:.
• Beat 1 cup softened butter for 30 seconds. Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar.
• Beat in 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup champagne, and 1 TB vanilla.
• Beat in 5-5 1/2 more cups powdered sugar till you can spread it or is consistency you want.
• Add red coloring till pink color, again slowly add a drop at a time till color you want. Frost completely cooled cake.
• This is excellent served the next day after being refrigerated all night so the flavors can blend!

CHAMPAGNE-COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Resift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening with 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour mixture and champagne alternately, mixing to smooth batter.
• Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat to stiff meringue. Fold about half of meringue into batter, mixing gently but thoroughly with whisk. Gently fold in remaining meringue.
• Turn into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, just until cake tests done. Let stand 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool.
• When layers are cool, fill with Coconut Filling between layers. Using 2/3 cup Fondant Frosting, spread thin layer smoothly over top and sides. This seals any crumbs. Pour about 1/2 cup additional frosting over top of cake and spread quickly to smooth layer. Cover sides of cake with second layer of frosting.
• Dip marshmallow quarters in remaining frosting to coat both sides and set randomly over top and sides of cake. Makes 10-12 servings.
• Coconut Filling: Combine butter, marshmallows and wine in top of double boiler. Set over simmering water and stir occasionally until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool until thick enough to spread.
• Fondant Frosting: Sift sugar into top of double boiler. Add corn syrup and water. Stir over simmering water until smooth. Blend in vanilla, salt, and almond extract. Stir in food color, if desired. Keep frosting warm while using so it spreads smoothly.

CHAMPAGNE CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch round cake pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.
• In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.