Champagne Cake with Champagne Glaze
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Champagne cake is a soft and tender pound cake with the essence of champagne. It’s perfect for a simple brunch or a special occasion.
This post has been updated from 2015 to improve reader experience.
Champagne cake is a great way to celebrate any event. This Champagne Pound Cake recipe is delicious and exactly what’s needed to turn a casual event into something special.
This recipe for Champagne Cake is more of a pound cake, meaning that it’s a little denser than a traditional layer cake.
That makes it perfect for soaking up all that champagne. You’ll get the essence of champagne. It’s not super boozy, just enough for a great celebration.
You’ll love how easy this cake is to make. While I love dressing up some of our desserts, that’s not always the case, such as with this champagne pound cake. It’s delicious simplicity.
Ingredients and variables
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter – we use real unsalted butter but a substitute would work too. If you use salted butter cut the salt in the recipe in half.
- Sugar
- Buttermilk
- Eggs – we use large eggs
- Almond extract – substitute with vanilla or lemon.
- Fresh raspberries
- Champagne – Prosecco or Cava can be substituted.
- Powdered sugar
How to make this Champagne Pound Cake Recipe
One of the things that we love about this Champagne Dessert is that it’s soft, tender, moist, and there are 2 opportunities to infuse it with Champagne!
Tip: We recommend mixing this cake and the glaze by hand versus an electric mixer. You don’t want to over-mix this cake or it will get tough.
Does the Alcohol Bake off?
The alcohol does not totally bake out. A percentage does and it’s dependent on how long it cooks. According to the USDA it takes 2 1/2 hours to cook all of the alcohol out of food.
For this reason, this cake shouldn’t be consumed by anyone that shouldn’t consume alcohol.
Mix up the Champagne Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients – Flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl add the melted and cooled butter, sugar, and buttermilk. Cream these ingredients together. Add eggs one at a time blending after each addition.
- Add the champagne and almond extract and blend until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and pour into a prepared pan.
- Bake
Champagne Cake Glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar, almond extract, and Champagne together until smooth. Add a little more champagne if the glaze is too thick or add powdered sugar if the glaze is too thin.
The consistency should allow a thick pour.
Items you may need
It sure doesn’t take much to put this cake together. We used a larger loaf pan for this recipe and our favorite spatulas.
Sweet cakes for any occasion!
Don’t have time to make it now? Pin it for later!
More recipes perfect for entertaining
- Boozy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Lamb Bites
- Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms with Crab
- Italian Empanadas
Made this cake as a trial run for a party and my family gobbled it up! Can’t wait to make it for a girls party I’m having next week.
I’ve made for several years in a row for New Year’s Eve. It’s so festive. Thank you, Kathleen!
s lovely tecipe,, but i sm confused because my German Grandma (in the 1940-50’s) always had champaine cake on every party table, iced pink,,, but it was made with layers of pastry with the fluffy icing between !!!! so ?? maybe because there was never any alcohol in the house, mmmhh. ?? all these recipes for it are made with cake,, so I wonder which was original,, ??
Hi Marion! I bet the pink iced cakes were so pretty. I’ve found that almost every country has its version of a particular recipe or they have the name of a recipe that’s made totally different. I’ve had so much fun learning the history of recipes in their different cultures/countries. One thing I’ve also learned is not to say something originated somewhere. That always comes back to bite.
Thanks for your reply Julie, I wonder if anyone else remembers Champaine Cake made with layers of pastry with pink icing ? Her other favourite was Napolitan Cake, this cake had one layer of pastry through the middle. Grandma was a great cook, and always used lots of spices,, ginger,cinnamon, nutmeg, etc and every meat dish had mixed seasoning added,, a stew always had dumplings on top, “whats for dinner?” and she would say “wait and see pie” then as she took it out of her big wood stove oven she say “SeePie”. —yes that recipe is on google !!! how interesting,, Her Shepherds Pie was not made with “ground lamb” – (mince meat) but made with “ground left over Roast Lamb” which is cooked meat,,
a completely different texture and taste, and delicious,, we all had a meat mincer in our kitchen then,,
I love that Marion! My Grandmother always let me put a leftover roast in the grinder and turn the handle for a hash dish. I felt so important! Those comfort food meals were simple and delicious. I love the “SeePie”! I had one too called Sh_t in a pot. The kids loved that one! LOL, Hopefully, some of our friends here will comment on their family cake experiences!
You had me with the champagne! What a delicious cake…I’ll make it again for the holiday!
Thank you, Michelle!
Champagne cake with a champagne glaze – You had me at the first champagne, lol. This is such a unique recipe. I’ve never had anything like it before. Will definitely give this a try!
Thank you! We really enjoy this one.
You know how you make a few cocktails with champagne and then wonder what to do with the rest before it loses all its fizz? Well, this was the perfect, most delicious way to use it up. Don’t tell anyone, but we had it for breakfast too. 🙂
I love the way you roll, Linda! Thank you!
What a delicious cake! It sounds absolutely perfect for a celebration – I can see it being a real winner at events.
Thank you! We loved it and so did our guests!
Glad I stumbled upon this recipe. Perfect for New years day breakfast. So delicious and easy to make.
Thanks, Jen! It’s perfect for the holidays or…breakfast LOL!
Such a fabulous recipe! I love the way the champagne interacts with the buttermilk, food science is amazing. I can’t wait to surprise my family with it. on New Years’!
Thank you, Sherry!
Just HAD to check this one out, cuz the pic looks wickedly good!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your stopping by!
So sorry about your back. I hope you are better today. Is it wrong that I drank all the champagne before I finished making your cake? No, exactly, I’m glad you agree. Ha ha. I was in bed before New Years and sober as a judge but I would have liked champagne cake. I’m sending you healing energy. Tracey
Ha! I am feeling much better Tracey! We’ve rescheduled our dinner with friends. the champagne never even got opened. 🙂
Hope u get well soon, infact I am late hope. U r feeling better:-) … About the cake, it’s. Another winner Recipe from you… 🙂
Wow! This looks so delicious, Julie. And your photos are stunning. <3 Happy 2015!
Thank you so much Jhuls! Happy 2015 to you as well!
You changed up your theme? I didn’t see a like or comment button on your posts?
Oh, you’re not the only one who had that problem. I think you just have to refresh your browser, Julie. 😉 Let me know.
I hope your back is better soon! Wonderful celebration cake, I’ve pinned it. Happy New Year.
Thank you for following my blog.
Thank you Liz! It’s better and I’m enjoying playing in my kitchen!
Wow, you had me at “champagne”!
We were on the same wavelength this holiday, Julie!
Happy New Year Julie! This cake looks amazing.
Thank you! Happy New Year to you too! I look forward to seeing more of those beautiful recipes you put together!
Looks gorgeous! 🙂
I’m sorry your new year plans fell through, but I’m glad you were able to make this cake first – it looks divine!!
I hope your back is on the mend xx
Already much better. Thanks Michelle!