A show-stopping pink champagne cake that’s soft, subtly boozy, and topped with a silky buttercream — perfect for birthdays, bridal showers, or any celebration that calls for a little sparkle. This cake layers tender crumb with a champagne-scented buttercream, then gets dressed up with a white chocolate drip, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and homemade champagne marshmallows for dramatic effect.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why you’ll love this dish

2 How this recipe comes together

3 What you’ll need

4 Step-by-step instructions

5 Best ways to enjoy it

6 Storage and reheating tips

7 Pro chef tips

8 Creative twists

9 Common questions

10 Pink Champagne Cake

Why you’ll love this dish

This cake strikes the sweet spot between elegant and approachable. The crumb is bright and moist thanks to the pink champagne, while the frosting balances sweetness with a delicate wine note. It’s ideal when you want something festive but not fussy — you can scale it up for a party or keep it simple for an intimate dessert.

"Light as a cloud, with a whisper of celebration in every bite — the perfect party centerpiece."

Reasons to try it:

Celebratory but not over-the-top: great for anniversaries, bridal showers, or New Year’s Eve.
Crowd-pleaser texture: egg whites create a lighter crumb than whole eggs.
Visual wow factor: pink tint plus white chocolate drip and fresh berries make this Instagram-ready.

If you enjoy celebratory brunch desserts, you might also like pairing lighter sweets alongside it — try something like fluffy flapjacks for a matching soft-and-fluffy counterpoint at a daytime gathering.

How this recipe comes together

A quick roadmap so you know what to expect: you’ll mix dry ingredients, cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg whites and alternate adding flour with pink champagne. Bake in two or three pans depending on how tall you want the cake. While layers cool, make the champagne buttercream (it’s essentially a stabilized butter-sugar emulsion flavored with champagne). Finally, stack, crumb-coat, smooth, add a white chocolate drip and decorate.

Timing snapshot:

Prep active time: ~30–45 minutes
Baking: about 25–30 minutes per round (for 8-inch pans)
Total including cooling and frosting: 3–4 hours (or make parts ahead)

What you’ll need

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (281 g)
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (170 g)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
5 large egg whites (150 g), boxed or fresh (pasteurized if preferred)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pink champagne or sparkling wine (use non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice if avoiding alcohol)
Pink gel food coloring (optional, a few drops to reach desired hue)

Frosting:

1 ½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened
6 cups powdered sugar (1 ½ lb)
2/3 cup pink champagne or sparkling wine
Pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)
Pink gel food coloring (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Decorations (optional):

White chocolate for drip (melted with a little cream)
Chocolate covered strawberries
Champagne marshmallows (homemade or store-bought)

Ingredient notes and substitutions:

Sparkling wine: Any rosé or pink sparkling wine works; for non-alcoholic use sparkling grape juice — flavor will be similar though less alcoholic.
Egg whites: Boxed pasteurized egg whites are great for consistency and food-safety concerns.
Butter: Use room-temperature butter for smooth creaming; if you only have salted butter, reduce added salt.
Color: Gel coloring gives more vivid pink without thinning batter or frosting.

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans (or three 6-inch pans) and line bottoms with parchment.
Dry mix: Whisk together 2 ¼ cups flour, 2 ¼ tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, cream ¾ cup softened butter with 1 ½ cups granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes with a hand or stand mixer. Scrape sides.
Add egg whites and vanilla: Beat in 5 large egg whites (room temp helps) one at a time until combined, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla. The mixture will be lighter.
Alternate flour and champagne: With mixer on low, add the dry mix in three additions, alternating with the 1 cup pink champagne (start and end with dry ingredients). Mix just until combined; don’t overmix. Add a few drops pink gel coloring if desired.
Bake: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops. Bake 25–30 minutes for 8-inch pans, or until a toothpick comes out clean and cake springs back lightly. Rotate pans halfway through if your oven runs hot.
Cool: Let cakes cool in pans 10–15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make frosting: Beat 1 ½ cups softened butter until creamy. Gradually add 6 cups powdered sugar on low, then slowly pour in 2/3 cup pink champagne and 1 tsp vanilla, increasing speed to medium-high until light and spreadable. Add a pinch of salt to balance if needed. Tint with gel coloring. If frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar; if too stiff, add a teaspoon of milk or more champagne carefully.
Assemble: Level cake layers if needed. Place first layer on a cake board, spread a thin layer of frosting, stack next layer, then crumb-coat the whole cake and chill 20–30 minutes. Finish with a smooth outer coat of frosting.
Drip and decorate: Melt white chocolate with a splash of cream and let cool slightly. Use a spoon or squeeze bottle to create a drip around the top edge. Top with chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne marshmallows as desired. Chill briefly to set the drip.

Quick safety note: most alcohol cooks off, but not all — use non-alcoholic sparkling juice if serving children or pregnant guests.

Best ways to enjoy it

Serve slightly chilled or room temperature. For a polished presentation:

Plate a slice with a smear of strawberry coulis and a few fresh berries.
Add a dusting of edible gold or pearl dust for celebrations.
Pair with light beverages: tea, coffee, or a sparkling rosé. For brunch setups, serve alongside lighter pancakes or sweets — guests often love having both a cake and pancakes like these banana tempura for a fun hot-and-cold contrast.

Portioning: An 8-inch two-layer cake typically serves 10–12 slices. If you want tall layers, bake in three 6-inch pans and slice thinner.

Storage and reheating tips

At room temperature: Unfrosted cake layers can stay at room temp tightly wrapped for up to 24 hours.
Refrigeration: Once frosted, store cake in an airtight cake carrier or loosely covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. Buttercream holds well chilled.
Freezing: Cake layers (unfrosted) freeze well. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.
Reheating: Serve chilled or bring to room temperature for best texture. Avoid microwaving whole slices — it alters frosting consistency. If you want warm cake, warm a single slice for 8–10 seconds in the microwave, but remove any delicate decorations first.

Food-safety note: if using real champagne, a trace of alcohol remains after baking and in the frosting; choose non-alcoholic options if serving children or pregnancy-sensitive guests.

Pro chef tips

Room temperature ingredients: Eggs (or egg whites) and butter incorporate more evenly when not cold. If using boxed egg whites, warm the container slightly if very cold.
Measure flour correctly: Spoon flour into the cup and level, or weigh at 281 g for accuracy. Over-packed flour makes dense cake.
Avoid overmixing: Once you alternate in flour and champagne, stop mixing as soon as just combined — overworking develops gluten and toughens crumb.
Chill between coats: A chilled crumb coat prevents crumbs in your final finish and makes drips cleaner.
Stabilize the buttercream: If your kitchen is warm, briefly chill the butter or the frosting bowl to keep the buttercream stable while piping or smoothing.
Alcohol intensity: If you want a stronger champagne flavor in the frosting without thinning it, reduce the champagne to 1/4–1/3 cup and infuse a teaspoon of concentrated champagne reduction (simmer 1/2 cup wine to 2–3 tbsp until syrupy) — add carefully to avoid over-thinning.

Creative twists

Non-alcoholic version: Replace champagne with sparkling white grape juice in both cake and frosting. Add a teaspoon of pink fruit puree (raspberry or strawberry) for natural color.
Chocolate pink champagne cake: Fold 2–3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa into the dry mix for a subtle chocolate twist that pairs beautifully with white chocolate drip.
Citrus lift: Add 1 tsp grated lemon or orange zest to batter for brightness.
Gluten-free option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum; be mindful textures vary.
Mini cakes or cupcakes: Bake in cupcake tins for single-serve party favors; reduce bake time to ~15–18 minutes.

Common questions

Q: Can I use regular champagne or does it have to be pink?
A: Regular (clear) champagne works fine — the pink color comes from rosé sparklers and/or food coloring. Using rosé adds a subtle berry note, but flavor-wise both work.

Q: Does the champagne taste stay after baking?
A: You’ll get a delicate wine note in both cake and frosting. Most alcohol evaporates during baking, but some flavor remains, especially in the frosting where alcohol isn’t heated as long.

Q: Can I make the cake ahead of time?
A: Yes. Bake layers up to 3 days ahead and keep wrapped in the fridge, or freeze layers for up to 3 months. Frost the day of serving or the day before for best presentation.

Q: Are the egg whites safe?
A: The egg whites are fully cooked in the cake. If you’re concerned about raw egg safety while handling, use pasteurized boxed egg whites. For the buttercream there are no raw eggs.

Q: How do I prevent a soggy cake with fruit toppings?
A: Add fresh fruit just before serving. If you use berries on top, pat dry to remove excess moisture. For longer display times, place fruit on the cake shortly before serving.

If you’d like, I can adapt this recipe into a printable card, a cupcake version, or a timeline for making it the day before a party. Which would be most useful?