Today we are excited to share a uniquely light and flavorful recipe with you for Pink Champagne Cake.

This elegant dessert, with its moist champagne infused layers & delicious buttercream is perfect for weddings, engagement parties, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve, or any occasion that calls for something special.

Why Pink Champagne Cake? A Quick History!

Southern bakers have been flavoring their cakes with sweet beverages for decades (cocoa cola cake, 7 up cake, etc.)...but Pink Champagne cake takes that practice to a whole new level of delicious sophistication.

It is believed that Pink Champagne Cake first originated on the west coast in the '50s and '60s, and was a hugely popular choice for bridal showers, weddings, and bachelorette parties.

There's just something a bit glamorous about a dessert flavored with Pink Champagne, don't you think? The Los Angeles Times printed a Pink Champagne Cake decades ago and to this day it remains one of its most requested.

If you like Pink Champagne, you are going to fall in love with this recipe. While the pink champagne isn't overpowering, the flavor is unmistakable.

We love to fill it with our Pink Champagne Buttercream Frosting, but traditionally pink champagne cakes have often been paired with bavarian cream or coconut fillings.

We hope that you enjoy this fantastic recipe. Make sure to check out our other Pink Champagne Cake (doctored cake mix version) linked below, as well as our Strawberries and Champagne Cake!

More champagne cake recipes!

If you are looking for an easy doctored cake mix version of Pink Champagne Cake, we love this DELICIOUS recipe!: Pink Champagne Cake (doctored cake mix) Recipe.

Also, don't miss our Champagne and Strawberries cake recipe!

This amazing recipe consists of Champagne & Strawberry cake layers, a whipped strawberry cream cheese filling, and Champagne & Strawberry Buttercream Frosting!

Find the recipe here: Champagne and Strawberries Cake

We've also created a delicious Champagne Pound Cake as well!

Pink Champagne Cake {Scratch Recipe}

This flavorful Pink Champagne Cake will make any occasion feel more special!

Ingredients

For the Pink Champagne Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 3 (8 inch) pans
3 cups (342 g) cake flour
1 Tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2g) salt
6 egg whites (194g)
1 cup (242g) pink champagne, I used Andre Blush Champagne
2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (18 g)
2 cups (400 g) sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 g) unsalted butter, softened slightly
Small amount of pink food color, I used AmeriColor Deep Pink but any pink would be fine. I added the color with a toothpick, just a small amount will give you blush pink

For the Pink Champagne Buttercream

4 sticks (452g) unsalted butter, softened
12 cups (1380g) powdered sugar (depending on the desired consistency, more sugar = more crusting) If you prefer a frosting that crusts less, see the note at the bottom of the recipe.
4 teaspoons ( 16g) vanilla
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
½ cup (122g) pink champagne
Pink Coloring Gel of Choice (We used a touch of Americolor Deep Pink)

Instructions

For the Cake

In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
In another bowl combine the egg whites, champagne, vanilla and vegetable oil. Whisk until blended and set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes. When it is light and fluffy add approximately ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Then add ½ of the liquid ingredients mixing until blended. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients. Begin and end with dry ingredients (3 additions of dry and 2 wet). Add the pink color at any time during the mixing of the dry and wet ingredients. *Makes 7 ½ cups of batter.
Pour into prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean. Cool in baking pans 10 min. then turn out.

For the Pink Champagne Buttercream

Cream the softened butter until smooth and lightened in color
Blend in the salt and vanilla
Gradually add the powdered sugar with the champagne until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Beat at medium speed 3 to 4 minutes. The texture will become very smooth. If you are tinting the entire batch of buttercream light pink, you can add a very small amount of coloring gel while it is mixing.
This recipe makes approximately 8 cups of frosting.

Notes

A Note about the Buttercream...

*For a softer buttercream with a much lighter crust, cut the amount of powdered sugar from 12 to 9 or 10 cups and cut the amount of champagne form ½ cup to ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon. Also, cut the salt to ½ teaspoon. This lighter consistency works well for cupcakes or cakes that don't require the Viva method of smoothing.