Just in time for New Year’s Eve, I’m sharing a fabulous high altitude champagne cake with champagne buttercream. The cake is the lightest, softest cake you could imagine, and the silky buttercream is flavored with a champagne reduction that adds the most delicious flavor and a lovely ivory color. To decorate the cake, I scattered the buttercream with gold and white sugar pearls and coarse sparkling sugar. Delicate, shimmering fondant snowflakes add the perfect touch for a New Year’s Eve cake.
I’ve also included an option to make this recipe into a delicious mimosa cake, so be sure to scroll through the post for instructions!
Looking for more recipes like this? You’ll love this pink champagne cake and champagne custard filled doughnuts.
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Why is champagne so good in cake?
Champagne cake is a vanilla cake that is made with champagne, which replaces the usual milk or buttermilk in a vanilla cake recipe. The fizzyness of the champagne lightens the cake batter, making an incredibly soft, tender, light and fluffy cake with a delicate champagne flavor.
You can pair a champagne cake with any complementary flavor of filling or buttercream. Strawberry buttercream or raspberry buttercream would both be fantastic. But a champagne buttercream adds even more champagne flavor to this special occasion cake.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Cake Flour. Cake flour, rather than all-purpose flour, makes a very soft, tender crumb that’s just irresistible.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture.
- Baking Powder. Leavens the cake, making it rise.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Champagne. Adds moisture, flavor and sweetness. The bubbles contribute to the light and airy texture of the cake.
- Vegetable Oil. Adds moisture and keeps the cake soft and fluffy.
- Eggs. Structure and richness.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
TIP: The cakes are very soft, and parchment paper on the bottoms of the pans ensures they won’t stick to the pans when you turn them out.
Instructions
This cake is so easy to make! Just sift the dry ingredients together, whisk in the liquid ingredients, and the cake batter is ready to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 350, and grease three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper, and spray the paper as well.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Sifting the dry ingredients is important for removing any lumps and ensuring a light and fluffy cake.
- Add the champagne, oil, eggs and vanilla, and whisk for about 30-40 seconds until smooth and well combined.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake on the center oven rack until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes.
- Set the pans on a wire cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.
TIP: You should open your bottle of champagne right before adding it to the cake batter for maximum fizzyness.
Making the Buttercream
Make a champagne reduction.
- To get the most champagne flavor into your buttercream without adding excessive liquid, you’ll need to make a champagne reduction. This simply means that you’ll be boiling the champagne down to let the water evaporate, leaving behind a concentrated champagne syrup.
- To make a champagne reduction, pour the champagne into a saucepan and set over medium heat. Simmer until the champagne is reduced to about 1/3 cup.
TIP: Cool the champagne reduction completely to room temperature before adding it to your buttercream.
Add to buttercream.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for one minute.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, the meringue powder, salt and vanilla; the mixture will be clumpy. Add the cooled champagne reduction.
- Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy.
- Stack, fill and frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream.
How to Make a Mimosa Cake
A mimosa is a delicious drink, often served with breakfast, made with champagne and orange juice. With a few simple adjustments, you can turn this champagne cake into a mimosa cake!
Cake
- Instead of 1 1/2 cups champagne, add 1 cup of champagne + 1/2 cup orange juice.
- Add 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest + 1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract.
Buttercream
- Add 1 teaspoon orange extract.
- For the look pictured here, fill and frost the cake with the buttercream. Tint about a half cup of buttercream with a drop of orange gel food coloring + a drop of yellow food coloring. Swirl the orange buttercream around the cake, but leave the top white.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of champagne should I use?
There’s no need to buy an expensive bottle of champagne for your champagne cake, unless you really want to splurge. I’ve made champagne cakes with both Korbel and Martini & Rossi brands, which are pretty affordable and add wonderful flavor to the cake. A sweet champagne, rather than dry, adds the best flavor.
Can this cake get me tipsy?
No. The alcohol in the champagne in both the cake and the buttercream is completely cooked off, leaving behind just the flavor.
What does champagne cake taste like?
It tastes like champagne, but if you’re not familiar with the flavor, you’ll notice sweet vanilla flavor notes with a pleasant tangyness from the champagne.
If I don’t want to use champagne, what can I substitute instead?
If you want to make this cake without champagne, try substituting another sweet, fizzy, bubbly liquid, such as Sprite, Ginger Ale, or a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage.
What can I use instead of cake flour?
If you’re not able to find cake flour in your local grocery store, you can purchase it online. I usually use Swans Down cake flour for my white cakes and vanilla cakes, but Softasilk works just as well, too. In a pinch, you can make a cake flour substitute with all-purpose flour and corn starch. Measure 1 cup of flour into a bowl, then remove 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons of corn starch to the flour and whisk together until well combined.
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes or a sheet cake? Can I bake the cake in 9-inch pans instead of 8-inch pans?
Sheet Cake: You can absolutely bake this recipe in a 9×13 pan. The bake time will be a little longer, possibly close to 30 minutes, so keep an eye on the cake and check the center for doneness.
Cupcakes: Not all cake recipes can be made into cupcakes, and vice versa. I imagine it would bake just fine as cupcakes, but if you do try it, please be sure to leave your experience in the comments.
8-inch vs 9-inch Cake Pans: I always bake cakes in my 8 inch pans, because it makes thicker cake layers for a taller cake. You can certainly bake the batter in 9-inch pans instead, and your finished cake will be slightly shorter.
Can this recipe be doubled, or cut in half?
Yes, it can be doubled, if you’re making several cakes or a tiered cake. If you cut the recipe in half, you’ll have enough batter for a 3 layer 6-inch cake.
Would this recipe be good for a wedding cake?
Oh, my gosh, yes! This would be a perfect wedding cake. Since the cake is so soft and fluffy, be warned that you cannot stack multiple tiers without a good and proper support system of dowels and cake boards between each tier. I probably wouldn’t recommend more than two tiers for such a light cake as this one.
What other flavors of fillings or buttercream would complement a this cake?
If you want to fill or frost your cake with something other than the champagne buttercream, fruit flavors would complement the champagne cake the best. Keep in mind that other flavors might overpower the flavor of the champagne in the cake, though. Strawberry, raspberry, and even lemon would all be wonderful.
How long will the cake stay fresh, and how should it be stored? Can I bake the cake in advance?
This cake is so soft and moist, it will stay fresh tasting for days after baking. Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can also bake the cake in advance and freeze it, if you like. To freeze the individual cake layers, wrap each in plastic wrap, and freeze for 3-6 months, until you’re ready to frost your cake. You can also freeze the fully assembled and frosted cake in a bakery box for several weeks in advance, then thaw out overnight before serving.
Do I need to make adjustments for baking this cake at a lower altitude?
I test and bake all of my cakes at Denver’s high altitude of 5,000 feet. If you’re at a lower altitude or sea level, you may need to make a few minor adjustments, but then again, you may not. You can refer to this article by King Arthur Baking for specific guidelines on adjusting recipes for various altitudes. If you try the recipe at a different altitude, I’d appreciate your comments with what, if any, changes you made!
How do I make the snowflake decorations?
The delicate snowflakes make the most gorgeous decoration on this snowflake cake, making it perfect for a Christmas cake or New Year’s Eve cake. I made the snowflakes out of white fondant, and used these plunger style snowflake cutters to cut the snowflakes. After they dried and hardened, I brushed them with edible silver luster dust.
- Roll out the fondant to about about 1/8 inch thick, using powdered sugar or corn starch to keep it from sticking.
- Use the snowflake cutters to cut the snowflakes, then use the spring-loaded plunger to push them out onto a flat surface (like a cutting board) that’s lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Let the snowflakes dry and harden for at least one day.
- Use a small craft paint brush to lightly dust the snowflakes with shimmering luster dust.
- You can now store the snowflakes in a container in a cool, dry place, like your pantry, for several days or weeks until you’re ready to decorate your cake.
- After frosting your cake, press the snowflakes lightly against the buttercream before it crusts over.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
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Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Champagne Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ cups champagne
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups champagne, reduced to 1/3 cup
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350, and grease three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper, and spray the paper as well. (The cakes are very soft, and the parchment paper ensures they won't stick to the pans when you turn them out.)
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add the champagne, oil, eggs and vanilla, and whisk for about 30-40 seconds until smooth and well combined.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake on the center oven rack until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes.
- Set the pans on a wire cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- For the champagne reduction, pour the champagne into a saucepan and set over medium heat. Simmer until the champagne is reduced to about 1/3 cup. Cool completely to room temperature.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for one minute.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, the meringue powder, salt and vanilla. It will be clumpy. Add the cooled champagne reduction.
- Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy. If needed for desired consistency, add 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream.
- Stack, fill and frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream.
Notes
- This champagne cake is very soft, moist, light and fluffy, and will stay fresh tasting for days and days, if stored in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature.
- If you want to make this cake without champagne, try substituting another fizzy, bubbly liquid, such as Sprite, Ginger Ale, or a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage.
I asked Heather to make a cake for New Year’s, and I was SO incredibly delighted by this cake. It had such a soft and moist texture, and we absolutely loved it. Heather was easy to contact, and was super responsive. I loved the buttercream so much. It wasn’t too sweet, it was the perfect balance, and my family raved about it.. I can’t recommend Heather’s beautiful cakes enough!
Thank you so much, Amanda! 🙂
Hi Heather I was just wondering does the champagne have to be room temperature or can I use it cold for both in the batter and buttercream.
It’s always a good idea to use room temperature ingredients when mixing cake batter, or it won’t mix and bake as evenly. I would just keep it at room temp, then open the bottle right before using it for the cake batter. For the champagne reduction in the buttercream, it won’t make too much difference if it’s chilled or not.
Does this recipe work non-high altitude locations?
Eva, you would need to make some adjustments for lower altitudes, such as decreasing the flour a little and increasing the leavening. I suggest reading this article for guidance: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
I made this into cupcakes. Filled them about 3/4 full and baked for 16 minutes. It worked out great! I thinned the frosting out a smidge with some cream and the whole family loved it!
That’s great! I’m glad to know the recipe works for cupcakes, too.
Hi there, I was wondering how you made your cute snowflakes (or where you bought them) for this cake? Thanks. 🙂
Ellie, in the FAQs section, I provided a link to the snowflake cutters I used. I cut them out of white fondant, then placed them on the cake. 🙂
I made this at sea level and it is delicious. I made it for my grandmothers wedding – doubled the recipe and made three 9” rounds and three 6” rounds for a two tiered cake. I also subbed the cake flour for 1 cup all purpose flour less two tablespoons, add two tablespoons of cornstarch
I made this cake in Vermont (Altitude 200’) and it came out perfect! No variations, it was moist and fluffy with a subtle champagne flavor. Paired it with a homemade raspberry filling and Cream-cheese frosting. Pictures @sweet_madge on Instagram 🙂
That’s great that it works at low altitude, too!
How many cups of icing does your recipe make? Working on my daughter’s wedding cake.
Thank you
Karin Overby
It makes about 5 cups of buttercream.
Hi! I live in southwest Virginia and used this recipe without making any adjustments. The cake turned out AMAZING! It’s moist and fluffy, and oh so good! It smells and tastes so fancy!
I’m so glad you love it!