Champagne Cake
This easy Champagne cake recipe transforms a simple white cake mix into an elegant dessert. Infused with extra dry Champagne in both the batter and frosting, it bakes into a delightful 9x13-inch cake. The recipe offers a unique option to create individual mini-cakes, perfect for sophisticated servings, with optional festive silver decorations to enhance its celebratory appeal.
Equipment
- 1 9x13-inch Cake Pan Standard baking pan for the cake.
- 1 Electric Mixer Essential for proper batter consistency.
- 2 Mixing Bowls One large for batter, one small for frosting.
- 1 Rubber Spatula For scraping down bowl sides.
- 1 3-inch Ring Mold Or an 8-ounce pineapple can with ends removed, for shaping mini-cakes.
Ingredients
Main
- Cooking spray
- 1 box 1-pound 2 1/4-ounce moist white cake mix
- 1 1/4 cups extra dry Champagne
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 can whipped white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon Champagne flavoring
- Silver mini disco balls optional
- Silver Dragees optional, if available in your area
- Silver edible glitter optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9 by-13-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, Champagne, vegetable oil, and egg whites. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and cool completely.
- Empty the frosting into a small bowl and add the Champagne flavoring. Stir to combine and set aside.
- To make the mini-cakes, with a 3-inch ring mold (or use an 8-ounce pineapple can with top and bottom removed) stamp out 6 cakes. Slice the cakes in half, horizontally, to make layers. Frost the bottom layer, replace the top layer and frost the tops and sides of cake. Decorate with the disco balls, Dragees, and glitter, if using.
- Cook's notes: Champagne flavoring and edible glitter are available where cake and candy making supplies are sold. Dragees, or silver candy balls, are not available in all states.
Notes
For best results, ensure all ingredients, especially egg whites and Champagne, are at room temperature before mixing for a smoother, more emulsified batter. Avoid overmixing the cake batter after combining ingredients to prevent a tough cake; mix until just combined, then beat for the specified 2 minutes. When cooling the cake, allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before attempting to frost or cut, as this prevents crumbling. If slicing the cake horizontally, a serrated knife works best, and chilling the cake briefly can make this process even cleaner. The Champagne flavoring intensifies the delicate notes; consider adding a touch more to the frosting if a bolder flavor is desired. For a more refined presentation, ensure clean cuts when using the ring mold.