I don’t make New Years’ resolutions. In part because I make a million resolutions in the year and there is nothing particularly different about January. In fact, I made a resolution to start a food blog in June and here I am. I made another to start spending my free money on experience and not things in April. Two of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
But the New Year always does bring freshness to your goals, a clean slate of sorts. A renewed start needed. I guess if I were to make a resolution this year it would be to continue to care about my emotional, spiritual and physical health. I would vow that the year 2016 would be spent chasing my dreams. That I would never choose fear over logic. By the end of 2016 I would hope that I didn’t spend my year people pleasing and that the search for life’s balance would still continue.
I know that this next year holds greatness and loss in both its proverbial arms. So right before the ball drops I take a deep breathe in and try to welcome both into my life. I know that I’ll probably look back on this post in a year and maybe my words will bring me comfort. Maybe my greatest loss will bring me my greatest strength. And maybe my joys will be double edged. My only hope is that I will grow. I will have greater wisdom, deeper understanding and a laugh wrinkle or two.
So as we look forward to Thursday night to celebrate yet another year of life lived and another year of life to live, shall we eat cake? If you’re looking for a festive dessert for your new year’s gathering look no further than a champagne cake with Italian meringue buttercream frosting.
I remember when I fell in love with champagne cake. It was the quite some time ago in a little bakery here in Salem named Konditorei. For some reason I opted out of my usual slice of anything with chocolate and went for a raspberry champagne cake. Life changing stuff. It’s incredibly (plug your ears) moist and flavorful as I’ll get out.
I tried for years to copy it and figure out a recipe that would do it justice. The only issue is I couldn’t find what frosting went with it the best … until. Listen, I know this is riveting stuff. Until I made it with Italian Meringue buttercream. It’s a soft creamy creamy creamy frosting that is only slightly sweet and compliments the cake exactly as it is. Try it out! It’s not as scary as you think but it will require some time and you have all year.
Ingredients
Champagne Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream
If you’re looking for a festive dessert for your new year’s gathering look no further than a champagne cake with Italian meringue buttercream frosting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
|| Champagne Cake ||
3 cups AP flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup sparkling brute
|| Italian Meringue Buttercream ||
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup room temperature water
5 egg whites
Pinch of Cream of Tartar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8 inch cake rounds and set aside.
|| Champagne Cake || Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil and sugar. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Then alternate between half of the sparkling, the rest of the dry ingredients and then the remaining sparkling. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and stir the batter.
Spread evenly on the pre-buttered pans. Use baking strips to ensure that the cake bakes flat and even.
Bake for 25-28 minutes. It should look pale in color and not golden when it is done. If you are baking in two 9 inch rounds bake for 30-35 minutes.
|| Italian Meringue Buttercream || In a small saucepan, put in 1 1/4 cup of sugar and a half cup of room temperature water and set on medium to high heat on the stove.
Separate egg whites into an electric standing mixer with a whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until foamy. Add the generous pinch of cream of tartar and 1/4 cup sugar. Whip on high until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Turn off the heat.
Once the mixture on the stove is boiling set a candy thermometer in the saucepan and wait for the syrup to reach 245 degrees. Do not leave the room. As soon as it registers that temperature turn your mixer on high and slowly pour into the egg whites. This process will cook your egg whites.
Once the syrup is completely in the egg whites continue to whip on high for another 10-15 minutes or until the mixing bowl is at room temperature. Be patient! Do not add the butter before it has cooled! Scrape the sides of the bowl every few minutes or so.
Once it is at room temperature continue to whisk on high and add the butter in two tablespoons at a time. Continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 8-10 minutes.
Keywords: cake, Italian meringue buttercream, champagne cake, new years, resolutions, celebrate
This sounds soooo, soooo good!
Hi. Beautiful photos and sounds like a lovely tasting cake. I am wondering if you intended to list 1 cup of butter twice in the frosting recipe…I haven’t tried it yet but I don’t see where there is a use of two “1 cup of butter” ingredients. Could you clarify? Thank you! 🙂
Hi, Kristi! thanks so much 🙂 The frosting is correct. The recipe for the frosting calls for 2 cups of butter (4 sticks), 5 cups powdered sugar and 1 cup of white chocolate ganache as listed on the bottom of the recipe card ingredients.
“For the frosting, in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk room-temperature butter with 2 tablespoons water until the butter is almost white. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined. Pour in one cup of the white chocolate ganache and whisk until combined and creamy.”
Hope this helped!
I just baked this for a New Year’s Eve party. I put a thin layer of raspberry preserves between the cake layers in addition to the Italian buttercream. I can’t wait to try it.
Oh my gosh, yes!!! I wish I was coming!! Thanks for making it!!
Hi. My daughter is excited to serve this for her 17th birthday party this Saturday.
When is the earliest possible day to make the cake for a Saturday party? If I made it Thursday would it still be amazing Saturday?
Hey girl!! If it’s well stored I think making it Thursday night would totally work!. That being said I’m a big proponent of freezing cake layers and individual freezer bags until you’re ready to frost. It actually ends up making the cake more moist as it defrosts. And a bonus, it makes it easier to Frost. If you want to do it this way, Just make sure your frosting it at least three hours before the party. Hope you enjoy!! And happy 17th!!! ( that was my golden birthday)
This looks so great! Can you make the frosting in advance as well? Or is it better to make day of?
Sorry for being CRAZY late on this one! It’s definitely best to leave the frosting for the day of. It’s way easier to frost when it’s fresh. You can make it the day before, just cover it and make sure to mix it again before frosting.
Karlee, what did you decorate the cake top with? I couldn’t decide whether the gold looking balls were a candy or some kind of golden fruit berry. It’s elegant and simple. It also looks like you lightly dusted it with something: coffee? chocolate? cinnamon? How much of the frosting should be set aside for the top and the sides? This is a really beautiful cake, and I have a soft spot for Italian cream. I like one of the suggestions to put raspberry filling in between the layers; or maybe apricot—planning ahead!
What are “baking strips” & how do you use them? Do you make them yourself?
(I love to bake & just came across your posts. I absolutely love it & would love to sign up to receive info from you