Over the years I have gotten requests for a champagne cake, but since I don’t drink alcohol I never thought I’d be able to offer a recipe. I couldn’t justify buying champagne just for recipe testing and since I’ve never really baked with alcohol before, I felt like it would take a lot of work to get the recipe just right. But to my surprise, a champagne flavor without any alcohol does exist: Amoretti Champagne Compound! And making a perfectly flavored champagne cake was as easy as adding a few tablespoons to my favorite vanilla cake recipe.
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Though this cake doesn’t contain any actual champagne, it absolutely tastes like it does. I had a handful of my friends (who do drink) taste test this recipe and all were amazed at the quality of the flavor and the soft, moist crumb. It tasted so much like actual champagne that I had to double check that there wasn’t any alcohol in it. And I love that I could just add a little bit of the compound into an existing cake recipe to create the perfect flavor instead of having to come up with a totally new recipe.
Inspired by the classic brunch cocktail, I paired these champagne cake layers with orange-flavored buttercream to mimic a mimosa in cake form. I’ve made orange buttercream before using fresh orange juice and zest, but this time I decided to try a new technique. I cooked some store bought orange juice to reduce it (let most of the liquid evaporate) and make the flavor more potent. Once it was cooled I added it to my favorite buttercream base and added a little orange zest for good measure. I love the little flecks of orange zest you can see if you look close.
The citrus and champagne flavors go so well together and I could absolutely see this mimosa cake served at a fancy brunch, bridal shower, or birthday celebration. It’s classy, easy to whip up, and completely zero-proof so you never have to worry about serving it to kids or those abstaining from alcohol. Your friends who do drink will also be amazed!
I decorated this cake with a smooth buttercream finish to let the orange zest flecks stand out, a raw edge to keep things rustic, a dainty swirl border with Wilton Tip 2D, and candied orange slices (cut in halves). You can find candied orange slices sometimes at your local grocery store, but I chose to make mine from scratch with one mandarin orange. I had to make them several hours ahead of time, but the process made my house smell like a citrus grove and they ended up looking so pretty on the cake! The instructions are in the recipe below if you want to make them.
If you are interested in making more champagne-flavored things, Amoretti’s Champagne Compound can be added to all sorts of bakes (or no-bakes). You can easily create champagne flavored buttercream frosting, ice cream, cheesecakes, cream fillings, and more just by adding a little at a time until the desired flavor is reached. It’s made from natural ingredients and super concentrated so you don’t have to use a lot. Plus it’s shelf-stable even after opening the bottle, so you can use it whenever you feel like instead of having to worry about a fast approaching expiration date.
PS you can get FREE SHIPPING on any order at Amoretti with my promo code: SPARROWCOFREESHIP
Champagne Mimosa Cake
Ingredients
Champagne Cake
- 2 3/4 Cups (290g) sifted cake flour*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp Amoretti Champagne Compound
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (240g) whole milk, room temperature
Orange Juice Reduction
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) orange juice
Orange Buttercream
- 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 1/4 Cups (630g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) orange juice reduction, room temperature
- 2 tsp orange zest from one mandarin or other small orange
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Garnish
- 6 candied orange slices** recipe in notes
Instructions
Make the Champagne Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the Amoretti Champagne Compound, vanilla, and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.
- Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
Make the Orange Juice Reduction
- Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until the orange juice has reduced to about ¼ Cup. Pour the reduced orange juice into an airtight container and place it into the refrigerator to cool to room temperature before moving on with the recipe.
Make the Orange Buttercream
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition.
- Add the orange juice reduction, orange zest, vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
Assembly
- Once the champagne cakes are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of orange buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with orange buttercream. Crumb coat the cake with orange buttercream, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.
- To create the design pictured, frost a smooth buttercream finish onto the cake with orange buttercream but keep the top edge raw, meaning don’t swipe it inward to create sharp edges. Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 2D and pipe swirls on top of the cake. Slice the candied oranges in half and place them in between each swirl.
Notes
- The champagne cakes can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left out at room temperature up to two days ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and frosting.
- The orange buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency, then fold in the sprinkles.
Disclaimer: I was compensated by Amoretti for my work of creating this project, styling, filming, photographing, and writing about their products. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Sugar & Sparrow.
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
Hi Ingrid! Yes. To make this recipe as cupcakes, fill the tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 15-18 min. Enjoy!
May I ask what size pans are you using?
Hi Tony! I used three 6×2 inch pans for this cake.
I would love to try this, it looks delicious but the champagne compound is $46! I can’t afford it.