1tspcoarse Kosher salt(if using table salt, use half the amount)
1 ½cupspink champagne
1cupvegetable oil
3large eggs
1tspvanilla extract
2-3drops"soft pink" gel food coloring
Buttercream
1 ½cupspink champagne,reduced to 1/3 cup
2cupsunsalted butter,softened to room temperature
4cupspowdered sugar
1tbspmeringue powder
⅛tspcoarse Kosher salt(if using table salt, use half the amount)
2tspvanilla extract
2-3drops"soft pink" gel food coloring
2-4tbspmilk(only if needed for desired consistency)
2tbspsparkling sugar
8large gold sugar pearls
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, vanilla and food coloring, 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 and the food coloring.
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 the milk as you're whipping the buttercream.
Stack, fill and frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream.
Before the buttercream crusts over, scatter with the sparkling sugar, tossing it at the sides so it sticks.
Scrape the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with tip 1M. Pipe swirls on top of the cake, and decorate with sugar pearls.
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.
Keyword Cake, High Altitude Cake, Pink Champagne, Valentine's Day