Strawberry Champagne Cake

I’ve got the perfect recipe for your New Year’s celebration today- this Strawberry Champagne Cake is sweet, fluffy, and just a little bit boozy. The cake is filled with strawberry jam and topped with fresh berries, and it tastes so good.

This is variation of my recipe for white cake, and the results are fluffy, soft cake layers with a sweet champagne buttercream that you’ll love. The cake batter can be mixed entirely by hand, something I always appreciate, and it’s easy to make. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Strawberry Champagne Cake

The ingredients for this cake are fairly simple with the addition of champagne- I recommend using a sparkling wine that you enjoy drinking, but that sits on the sweeter side. There’s also no need to go fancy here- your cake will have a hint of the flavor of your champagne, plus it contributes to the texture, but something expensive is not required.

You’ll want to start by mixing together your dry ingredients in a bowl- in this case that is flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt- and setting this mixture aside. In another bowl, whisk together the champagne and sour cream until well combined.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and oil until the mixture is combined- it will be crumbly at this stage. Then add in the egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract and whisk together until everything is smooth.

Stir in the dry mixture and the champagne mixture in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture, and whisking well between each addition. You want to mix the batter until everything is just combined and no dry pockets of flour remain.

Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans, or optionally three 6-inch cake pans, and then it’s off to bake until the cakes are set and lightly golden brown.

After letting the cakes cool completely, it’s time to frost and fill the cake. I’m using a simple American buttercream for this cake with the addition of a few tablespoons of sparkling wine to pull everything together. I like to trim the cake layers to make a flat surface. Then, add a thin layer of buttercream to the first layer. Top this layer with a dam of buttercream around the edges, and then a layer of strawberry jam.

To finish the cake, add the second layer, and frost the remainder of the cake with the champagne buttercream. Top the cake with fresh strawberries, and optionally add some sparkling sugar or other sprinkles if you’d like.

The sparkling wine helps create a super soft, tender cake, and the strawberry jam gives the cake a sweet pop of fruit. Depending on your champagne, you’ll find a fairly light flavor of sparkling wine through both the cake and the frosting, making this the perfect celebration cake!

Tips & Tricks for Strawberry Champagne Cake

Here are my tips and tricks to help along the way to the perfect Strawberry Champagne Cake:

• Use whatever sparkling wine you like, but there’s no need to go for something pricey in this cake. The cheap stuff works just as well here!
• Whisk the cake batter by hand to avoid over mixing. This cake is best whisked by hand, and the batter is fairly thin so it’s easy to pull together.
• Do I have to use champagne? You can skip the sparkling wine if you’d like in favor of a white cake, replacing it in the cake recipe with buttermilk.
• Can I use a different frosting? Yes, feel free to frost this cake with anything you like here. American buttercream is definitely on the sweet side, but it’s one of the easier frostings to incorporate champagne into.
• Can I use different kinds of fruit? Yes, use any combination of jam or fresh fruit to top this cake however you’d like! The cake base and frosting base are fairly simply and work well with other fruits too!
• How do I know when the cakes are finished baking? The cakes should look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
• Be sure to fully cool the cakes before frosting. If the cakes are still even a little bit warm, the frosting will quickly melt off the cake. Don’t skip this step!
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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Strawberry Champagne Cake

Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups + 2 tbs. all purpose flour
• 4 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup champagne or sparkling wine
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 6 egg whites
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract

For the frosting and filling:

• 1 1/2 cup softened butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbs. champagne
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup strawberry jam
• Fresh strawberries to top optional

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and grease two 8 inch round pans. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt, and set this mixture aside. In a small bowl, stir together the champagne and the sour cream until combined- this mixture will fizz a little bit.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the canola oil and sugar until you have a crumbly, combined mixture. Add in the egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and stir until you have a smooth mixture.
3. Add in the flour mixture and the champagne mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Smooth the batter out into your prepared cake pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes completely before frosting, optionally wrapping the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap while they are still hot, and letting the cakes cool in the plastic.

For the frosting and filling:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Add in the champagne, vanilla extract, and salt and beat together until you have a smooth, creamy frosting.
2. Optionally trim the cake layers so each cake is flat on both the top and bottom. Lay one cake layer onto your plate, and add a thin layer of buttercream on top. Then pipe a dam of frosting around the edges. Fill the cake with the jam, spreading evenly in the middle of the frosting dam. Top with the second cake layer, and generously frost the outside of the cake as desired. Optionally top the cake with fresh strawberries and sparkling sugar. Slice and enjoy!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!