This strawberry champagne cake is an elegant choice for Valentine’s Day, bridal showers, birthdays and other celebrations. It features layers of tender, champagne-scented cake topped with a sweet frosting made from real strawberries.
If you want a show-stopping cake with a subtle grown-up flavor, this strawberry champagne cake is perfect. The base is essentially a white cake where part of the liquid is replaced with champagne or sparkling wine, giving a noticeable but not overpowering champagne note. The frosting is a classic American buttercream brightened with concentrated strawberry puree made from fresh berries.
Champagne and strawberries are a classic pairing, and this cake captures that flavor combination in a moist, tender layered cake.
For the Champagne Cake
The cake is a white (egg-white) style vanilla cake, which yields a lighter color and a delicate crumb since it omits egg yolks. I recommend using cake flour for a finer texture; a substitute using all-purpose flour plus cornstarch is provided in the notes if needed.
Choosing Your Champagne
You don’t need an expensive bottle — just pick a sparkling wine you enjoy. Prosecco or other sparkling wines work well. For desserts I usually prefer a slightly sweeter sparkling wine because it brings out fruity notes that complement the strawberries.
For the Strawberry Frosting
This frosting is made from real strawberries, so the flavor is fresh and natural. Start by coring the berries and pureeing them in a blender or food processor. You can strain the puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds if you prefer a smooth texture.
Simmer the puree until it reduces and thickens to a jam-like consistency — this concentrates the strawberry flavor. Depending on whether you use fresh or frozen berries, reduction can take 15–30 minutes or longer; frozen berries often require more time. Let the reduced puree cool completely before adding it to the buttercream, or the warm puree will soften the butter and risk a broken frosting. Once cooled, mix it into an American-style buttercream for flavorful, naturally tinted frosting.
Baking Tips & Tricks
- Bring the butter, eggs, milk and champagne/sparkling wine to room temperature before starting.
- Sift cake flour to remove lumps and ensure a light crumb.
- Make sure the reduced strawberry puree is completely cool before folding into buttercream to avoid melting the butter.
- If cake tops dome during baking, level them with a serrated knife or cake leveler so layers stack evenly.
- The frosting quantity covers a two-layer cake with some left over for piping, or enough to fully frost a three-layer cake if desired; see recipe notes for pan size options.
- To save time, reduce the strawberry puree first and let it cool while you prepare the cake batter, then finish the frosting after the cakes are baked.
For a Pink Champagne Cake
To make pink cake layers, use a rosé or pink sparkling wine and add a few drops of red food coloring to the batter for a soft pink hue.
Tender, moist, and delicately flavored with champagne, this strawberry champagne cake is ideal for special occasions. The strawberry buttercream, made from reduced real berries, offers a fresh, natural fruit flavor that pairs beautifully with the cake.
More Desserts for Celebrations:
- White Chocolate Cheesecake
- Strawberry Layer Cake
- Funfetti Cake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
Strawberry Champagne Cake
Equipment
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Two 8-inch round cake pans with high sides (about 2 inches)
Ingredients
Champagne Cake
- 3 cups cake flour (360 g), sifted
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 g), softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 cup champagne or sparkling wine (240 ml)
Strawberry Frosting
- 1 lb strawberries (454 g)
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (339 g), room temperature
- 5–6 cups powdered sugar (550–660 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2–5 tablespoons whipping cream (30–75 ml)
Instructions
Champagne Cake
- Preheat oven to 335°F (170°C), or 160°C for fan-forced ovens.
- Line bottoms of two 8-inch pans with parchment. Grease and flour the sides; pans should have about 2-inch sides.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk and set aside.
- Combine milk, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
- Beat in egg whites a little at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl between additions.
- On low speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture, then add the milk mixture and scrape the bowl.
- Beat in another third of the flour, then add the champagne. Stir by hand first, then mix on low to incorporate.
- Beat in the final third of the flour until combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake on the same middle rack for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cakes may pull away slightly from the pan sides when done.
- Cool in pans 10–15 minutes, then invert onto a rack. For faster cooling, wrap cooled layers tightly in plastic and place in the freezer briefly to retain moisture.
Strawberry Frosting
- Core the strawberries and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Optionally press the puree through a metal sieve to remove seeds.
- Cook the puree over low-medium heat, stirring until it reduces to a thick jam-like consistency. This may yield about 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) reduced puree. Cool completely.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add 2 cups powdered sugar on low speed, gradually increasing until incorporated.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry reduction and the salt, then beat to combine.
- Continue adding the remaining powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon cream, until the desired sweetness and consistency are reached. Add a bit more reduced puree if you want a stronger strawberry flavor, but stop if the frosting becomes too thin.
Assembling the Cake
- Make sure cake layers are completely cool. Level domed tops if needed.
- Place one layer bottom-side up on your serving plate or stand.
- Spread about one-quarter to one-third of the frosting over the top.
- Place the second layer on top, bottom-side up, and frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting in swirls.
- If crumbs appear in the frosting, apply a thin crumb coat first and chill 30 minutes before finishing with a decorative layer.
Notes
- Pan Sizes:
- Two 8-inch pans with high sides: 30–35 minutes
- Three 8-inch pans: 25–30 minutes
- Two 9-inch pans: 25–30 minutes
- Cake Flour: Use cake flour if possible. If you don’t have it, measure 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons and replace them with 6 tablespoons cornstarch; sift three times before using.
- Champagne: Choose a sparkling wine you enjoy. A slightly sweeter option works nicely with this dessert.
- Strawberries: Frozen strawberries are fine if unsweetened, but they will take longer to reduce.
- Frosting: This amount frosts a two-layer 8- or 9-inch cake with a little leftover for piping. For a minimal-frosting version, see the reduced ingredient list in the original recipe notes.
- Make Ahead: Cake layers can be baked a day ahead, wrapped and stored at room temperature. Reduce the strawberry puree and refrigerate overnight; make the frosting and assemble when ready.
- Storage: Keep the assembled cake covered at room temperature up to 12 hours; refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days in an airtight container. Unfrosted layers freeze up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate based on 12 slices and full use of the frosting.
Nutrition
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