Strawberries and Pink Champagne Cake Recipe

Sweet icing, a fluffy cake, strawberries and pink champagne... could a girl ask for more?  This cake recipe is made from scratch so it has a special place in my heart.

   

Let's get started by preparing our ingredients.

Who actually has time to bring the eggs to room temp?  I definitely do not, so my favorite trick is to soak the eggs in warm water right before I start my recipe.  I swear it helps in making perfectly whipped egg whites and a delicious fluffy cake.  

While visiting my local grocery store, the wine expert suggested Korbel Brut Rose for regular drinking.  I do not question a wine expert ever, only hope for leftovers, of which I'm drinking right now. And I'd like to thank you, Mr. Wine Expert at Top Grocery Store.  After measuring out the 1 cup of champagne, stir out all the bubbles.  I kept going back to it and stirring just to be on the safe side.  

Sift together dry ingredients.   Reserve 1/4 cup of the sugar for later.  Also, combine the liquid ingredients, butter, champagne, oil, vanilla, yolks.

Pour the liquid into the dry and mix.  It's not rocket science here. I should have used the wire whisk attachment because the recipe says so... whatever.  Also, add the pink food color.  I use Americolor Deep Pink.

Remember how I said soaking the cold eggs in warm water would make perfect whipped egg whites?  See what I mean?  I also added the remaining sugar during this process.  

Now this part is rocket science.  Carefully, fold the egg whites into the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for approximately 35 minutes.  Let cakes cool.  

I forgot to take pictures of the icing and simple syrup making.  Ack.  It's pretty self explanatory just think happy thoughts as you're making it. 

Extra booze soaked inside the cake?  Yes please.  I like to put my syrup into a squeeze bottle.  This one was purchased at the craft store.  If you trim the tops of your cakes the syrup will soak in very nicely.

Stack the cake with a nice thick layer of icing between the layers and frost the outside.  Voila!

Pink Champagne Cake 
*Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
view printable recipe

2 ½ cups cake flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon table salt

2 ¼ cups sugar

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup pink champagne, flattened

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks, room temperature

3 large egg whites, room temperature
Americolor Deep Pink food color gel

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 340 degrees.  Grease two 8” round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 2 cups sugar together in large bowl.  Stir the 1 cup of pink champagne in a measuring cup to rid it of all bubbles.  In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, champagne, oil, vanilla, and yolks. 

In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.  With machine running, gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form.  Transfer to bowl and set aside. 

Add flour mixture to now empty mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment. With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds.  Stop mixer and scrape whisk and sides of bowl.  Return mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10-15 seconds.  Add food coloring until you get the perfect shade of pink.

Fold the egg whites into the batter, pour evenly into pans and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Champagne Simple Syrup

¼ cup champagne

¼ cup water

¼ cup sugar

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, water and champagne. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

Strawberry Champagne Buttercream

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup shortening

2 lbs powdered sugar

3 tablespoons strawberry puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon popcorn salt

¼ cup pink champagne, flattened (stir to release bubbles)

Instructions:

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and shortening.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter and shortening.  Add vanilla, flat pink champagne, strawberry puree and popcorn salt.