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 to 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 it’s 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

Pink Champagne Cake {Scratch Recipe}

Name: Pink Champagne Cake {Scratch Recipe}
Ingredients: 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; 1/2 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; 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; 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; 1/2 cup (122g) pink champagne; Pink Coloring Gel of Choice (We used a touch of Americolor Deep Pink)

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
1/2 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
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
1/2 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 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Then add 1/2 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 1/2 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 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon. Also, cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. This lighter consistency works well for cupcakes or cakes that don't require the Viva method of smoothing.

Comments

Tammi September 13, 2020 at 11:05 pm

Hi. I have not been able to find Andre Blush Champagne. What would be another good choice?

Thank you,
Tammi
BeBe September 14, 2020 at 8:29 am

Hi Tammi, You can use any brand of champagne. You can use prosecco or various sparkling wines. Hope you will enjoy the recipe.
Tammi September 14, 2020 at 7:11 pm

Thank you!

Tammi
Courtney Cocucci September 27, 2020 at 11:43 am

Hi is it okay if I use rose brut?
BeBe September 27, 2020 at 11:47 am

Hi Courtney, Yes, I think that will be fine. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hallelujah Spohn October 3, 2020 at 9:14 pm

Can I bake my cake rounds ahead of time and freeze them? Is this recipe ok to hold up in the freezer for a few days before finishing?

Thanks!
Melissa Diamond October 3, 2020 at 11:04 pm

Hello! Yes, we prefer to freeze our cake layers as we feel it makes them even more moist.

Bake the cake layers, then while they are still warm, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and foil & freeze. We always have cake boards on hand and so we flip our layers onto foil-wrapped cake boards for extra support and wrap them up to freeze.

The general rule is layers cab be frozen for 2 to 3 months- they’ll taste as fresh as the day they were made. If in a hurry, freezing for just a few hours is fine also. To thaw, remove from freezer and keep wrapped until condensation begins to form on the foil. Then unwrap and continue to thaw. Enjoy the recipe!
Barbara October 5, 2020 at 9:26 pm

My mom used to freeze her batter in the pans without cooking first. When company came she would just pop a frozen batter pan in the oven. Always the most delicious cake you ever had. Light and fluffy.
BeBe October 5, 2020 at 11:11 pm

Hi Barbara, That is so interesting, I’ll have to give that a try.
Rachel Propst October 12, 2020 at 10:32 am

Did this for a wedding & So disappointed. Is was very dry
BeBe October 12, 2020 at 12:40 pm

Hi Rachel, I am so sorry your cake was dry, it should have been light, fluffy and moist. Did you use cake flour and measure the flour using a food scale? If you do not have a scale, measure the flour by spooning it into a measuring cup for dry ingredients. Slightly overfill the cup and level off the top with the back of a knife. Also, over baking can make cake layers dry.
Karen p November 1, 2020 at 7:12 pm

Hi – the cake didn’t raise well, is baking powder what you intended to put in the recipe rather than soda?
BeBe November 1, 2020 at 7:36 pm

Hi Karen, Baking powder is the correct ingredient. I am sorry your cake did not rise as high as it should have. Did you add 1 Tablespoon (not teaspoon) of baking powder? Another possible cause could be that your baking powder is out of date or near the expiration date.
Sandra November 16, 2020 at 5:08 pm

I was wondering if I could make this in a cake pan? I don’t have the layer cake pans & because I’d probably never use them, a single layer cake pan would work best for me. This has been a long time family favorite but only could get it at a bakery. Thank you so much!
BeBe November 16, 2020 at 6:08 pm

Hi Sandra, Yes, this can be make in a sheet cake pan. This recipe makes 8 cups of batter. Using a 9×12 inch sheet cake pan you can use 7 cups of batter or enough to fill your pan 2/3’s full. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Keep an eye on it and check for doneness at 30 minutes. It will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. I hope you will enjoy the cake.
BeBe November 19, 2020 at 1:16 pm

Hi Patsy, This recipe calls for 3 cups cake flour. This is a substitution you can use. Measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour. Remove 6 Tablespoons of the flour and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). Whisk to blend and proceed with the recipe. I hope you will enjoy the recipe.

Hi Courtney, I am not familiar with rose bruit, if it is a sparkling wine. If so, it may be fine to use.