Pink Champagne Cake with Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This pink champagne cake recipe combines champagne and orange juice in a soft and crumbly cake and is frosted with a silky orange swiss meringue buttercream for the perfect finish. These flavors together are incredible making this delicate cake a delight.
Happy New Year friends!
I know we are already in February but this is my first recipe of the year. A pink champagne cake that is worth starting the year with and worth celebrating any milestone as it is epic and beautiful.
How’s your year going so far? I hope well! I can’t believe we are already done with the first month of the year. I took January off the blog to recharge and re-energize for an exciting year to come. I spent a lot of time thinking about this wonderful space, reflecting on the community we have built and brainstorming ways to incorporate some of what you’ve asked for. I have a lot of ideas on how to continue bringing you the classic recipes you love with exciting twists for your kitchen explorations. Stay tuned for more!!
Even though I was not online, I was baking (shocker!!). This pink champagne cake is a new recipe that I made and loved for several reasons. One, it was adapted from one of my favorite bakers; Sweet ReciPEAs. Two, it combines champagne and orange juice into one soft and crumbly cake. Three, the cake is filled and frosted with a silky orange swiss meringue buttercream for the perfect finish.
Just think mimosa in a slice of cake! These flavors together are incredible making this delicate cake a delight.
I decorated it with Valentine’s Day sprinkles as that is just around the color but this celebration pink champagne cake can be used for any occasion. New Year’s Eve, bridal showers etc.
I hope your New Year is going great and I can’t wait to share new recipes, adventures, and joy of baking for family and friends with you this year. Cheers!
Pink Champagne Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This pink champagne cake recipe combines champagne and orange juice in a soft and crumbly cake and is frosted with a silky orange swiss meringue buttercream for the perfect finish. These flavors together are incredible making this delicate cake a delight.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ¾ cup cake flour, sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- zest of one orange
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup sparkling wine or champagne
For the Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- zest of one orange
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
For the Pink Champagne Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round pans with baking spray and line with parchment rounds.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
- In another large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 - 5 minutes on medium speed.
- Beat in the vanilla bean paste and oil until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until each is combined.
- Mix in half of the dry ingredients on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add the orange juice and champagne. Mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
- Divide evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans for at least 10 minutes before turning onto wire racks to cool completely. Meanwhile, you could start on the frosting.
For the Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg white mixture 5 minutes (using the whisk attachment). Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of the bowl), about 6 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium and switch to the paddle attachment. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Keep beating until the buttercream comes together (IT WILL). Beat in orange zest and orange juice until smooth and silky.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
ASSEMBLY
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread about ½ cup of frosting over the top using an offset spatula. Top with another layer of cake and repeat with another layer of frosting. Smooth with an offset spatula. Top with final layer of cake. Frost cake with a crumb coat of buttercream and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Finish frosting cake and decorate as desired.
Notes
Cake recipe adapted from Sweet ReciPeas
I. Usually make Swiss buttercream for my cakes and I tried this recipe twice and threw out two batches of SMBC. It would NOT hold and kept splitting. I am sad because it sounded delicious.
I’m very sorry to hear this. I don’t like that I can’t help you troubleshoot as I am not in your kitchen. I do know that SMBC fails for a few reasons but the most common is that meringue was not cool enough before the butter went in. In these cases, the butter melts and the mixture will not hold/come together. Again very sorry but this recipe has been the one I use for years. It is in so many different recipes here on my site and one that I know works as I use it myself always.
This cake looks amazing!! I’d like to make it and don’t want to mess it up with all the expensive ingredients. In reading the recipe and the comments on the SMBC, I don’t see the 2 tsps of orange juice (only 2 TBSPS) and the directions say add the vanilla, but no vanilla is listed in the ingredients. Also, orange zest is listed in the ingredients, however, there is no mention in the directions on when to add it. Can you please clarify? Thanks so much!
Hi Kathy! I’ve clarified in the instructions above. Let me know if that helps!
I loved the cake, it was very beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
The orange Swiss meringue calls for both 2 teaspoons and 2 tablespoons of orange juice. Does that much liquid break the buttercream? I may sub in 2t Grand Marnier but I’m worried about adding too much juice. I have some orange marmalade in the fridge, maybe I could substitute it for both the juice and zest to avoid making it too bitter and runny? Haven’t flavoured SMBC with anything but a splash of vanilla before, just don’t want to waste all those eggs and sticks of butter 😅
Hi Jasmin – sorry for the delayed response. You only need two tablespoons of orange juice. SMBC is actually easy to flavor – I’ve added up to 1/4 cup caramel or strawberry compote and the mixes well into the frosting. No worries on using grand marnier either- that would be delicious! Let us know how you liked the recipe.
Your caking skills are off the hook!! Seriously, this is gorgeous. And I love the flavor combination…there isn’t enough mimosa in my life!
That cake looks absolutely lovely!
Thank you, Ashley!