Pink Champagne Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 28, 2017
Time
2¾ hours, plus 2 hours cooling
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
5 large egg yolks ½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 cups whole milk Pinch salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled1½ teaspoons vanilla extractCake
6 egg whites, room temperature1 cup Champagne, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract 6 drops red food coloring 2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour 1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool3 cups pastry creamButtercream
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extractBefore You Begin
The pastry cream can be refrigerated for up to two days. The whole eggs, whipped until airy, give this buttercream a light, satiny-smooth texture that melts on the tongue. Pink candy melts are available at most craft stores, such as Michael’s.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, and cornstarch in medium bowl until mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 1 minute; set aside. Heat milk, salt, and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
- Gradually whisk half of milk mixture into yolk mixture to temper. Return milk-yolk mixture to saucepan. Return to simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer mixture to clean bowl, press parchment paper directly onto surface, and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.
- Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites, Champagne, vanilla, and food coloring together in bowl.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add butter, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated and mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add all but 1/2 cup egg white mixture and beat until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add remaining 1/2 cup egg white mixture in slow stream. Scrape down bowl and beat batter on medium-high speed until well combined, about 15 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 21 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.
- While cake cools, place candy in bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring often, until melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour melted candy into 4 by 4-inch container at least 1 inch deep. Refrigerate until just set, 15 to 30 minutes. Let block soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Remove block from container and run blade of vegetable peeler along width of block to form curls.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low speed until most of sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl; add cream and vanilla and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake plate or pedestal. Top with half of pastry cream. Place second cake layer on top. Top with remaining pastry cream. Place third cake layer on top. Spread buttercream in even layer over top and sides of cake. Top with pink chocolate curls. Serve.
for the pastry cream
for the cake
for the curls
for the vanilla buttercream
Time
2¾ hours, plus 2 hours coolingYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Pastry Cream
5 large egg yolks
½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup Champagne, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 drops red food coloring
2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
3 cups pastry cream
Buttercream
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
5 large egg yolks
½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup Champagne, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 drops red food coloring
2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
3 cups pastry cream
Buttercream
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
5 large egg yolks
½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup Champagne, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 drops red food coloring
2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
3 cups pastry cream
Buttercream
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Why This Recipe Works
Our version of this California classic features rich pastry cream sandwiched between pink-tinted white cake layers with an easy-to-make vanilla buttercream frosting and pink chocolate curls piled on top. As the name implies, we add a full cup of sparkling wine to the batter, which adds a slightly yeasty flavor reminiscent of bread and gives the cake an unmistakable festive flavor. For the sparkling wine, we recommend using one that is on the drier side but not too expensive. Prosecco is a good choice. The pink chocolate curls are a cinch to make as long as you have a microwave and a vegetable peeler.
Before You Begin
The pastry cream can be refrigerated for up to two days. The whole eggs, whipped until airy, give this buttercream a light, satiny-smooth texture that melts on the tongue. Pink candy melts are available at most craft stores, such as Michael’s.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, and cornstarch in medium bowl until mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 1 minute; set aside. Heat milk, salt, and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
- Gradually whisk half of milk mixture into yolk mixture to temper. Return milk-yolk mixture to saucepan. Return to simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer mixture to clean bowl, press parchment paper directly onto surface, and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.
- Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites, Champagne, vanilla, and food coloring together in bowl.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add butter, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated and mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add all but 1/2 cup egg white mixture and beat until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add remaining 1/2 cup egg white mixture in slow stream. Scrape down bowl and beat batter on medium-high speed until well combined, about 15 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 21 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.
- While cake cools, place candy in bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring often, until melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour melted candy into 4 by 4-inch container at least 1 inch deep. Refrigerate until just set, 15 to 30 minutes. Let block soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Remove block from container and run blade of vegetable peeler along width of block to form curls.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low speed until most of sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl; add cream and vanilla and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake plate or pedestal. Top with half of pastry cream. Place second cake layer on top. Top with remaining pastry cream. Place third cake layer on top. Spread buttercream in even layer over top and sides of cake. Top with pink chocolate curls. Serve.
for the pastry cream
for the cake
for the curls
for the vanilla buttercream
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