Champagne Cake - Happy New Year!

It's my first post of 2026 and it's only January 1, so I think I'm off to a good start.  There's no better way to celebrate the New Year than a glass of champagne, or in this case a cake of champagne!  Mr. Devilish Dish has really honed up his cooking skills this past year.  Partially because I had surgery on my hand and he has had to do a majority of the cooking for the past several months and partially because he really enjoys it.  When I say he has polished up his skills I'm talking master level, molecular gastronomy skills.  For example, our New Year's Eve meal (cooked entirely by him) was Surf & Turf (Steak & Lobster Tails) with clarified butter, a Lobster Velouté Sauce (made from his homemade seafood stock) Wilted Spinach & Bacon, and a Roasted Cauliflower Puree.  All I did was wash dishes.  And welcome in the new year with a freshly scrubbed kitchen.  OH!  And I made this cake.  At no point did I think this cake would be worthy of the meal he prepared.  As I was trying to decide how to frost it, I was second guessing myself and thinking maybe I should have made souffles or something more elegant.  I could not have been more wrong.  This cake was absolute perfection.  The sponge, though surprising easy to handle and release from the pan, was so delicate and soft, with the best champagne flavor.  The recipe makes a ton of champagne buttercream frosting, but I decided to keep the look very simple by going for the "naked" style cake and just frosting the center and top, with a very light coating around the outside of the cake layers.  Not only do I think it gave the cake an elegant appearance, the cake itself is so tasty it doesn't need a lot of frosting.  In fact we ate a second piece at midnight with a little bit of raspberry sauce.  (Another of his creations.) If last night's meal and dessert are any indication of our cooking adventures for the upcoming year, I'd say you all are in for lots of great recipes in 2026.  But first let's celebrate with Champagne Cake!

A terrific way to welcome
 in the New Year.

Surprisingly few ingredients.
So simple to make.

Combine the eggs and vegetable oil.
Add in the champagne, followed by the 
granulated sugar.

Combine the dry ingredients and add
to the champagne mixture.

Divide the cake batter evenly between
two prepared cake pans.

Bake and allow to cool completely
before frosting.

Frost the entire cake OR leave the 
sides "naked" like I did.

Such a simple, elegant cake. I had 
the perfect vintage gold cake stand
for the occasion.

I opted to not use a lot of frosting on this
cake and I'm glad I did.  The flavor and texture
of the cake sponge is so delicate and delicious,
it would be just as good without the frosting.

I used a serrated knife to slice the cake,
the sponge is so light.

This would be outstanding served with 
fresh fruit on the side, or a tart fruit sauce.
BONUS:  You'll have 2 glasses of champagne leftover
from the bottle when you make this cake. Perfect
for enjoying with your dessert and ringing in
the New Year. 

CHAMPAGNE CAKE

For the Cake:

1 1/4 cups champagne
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Buttercream Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1/3-1/2 cup champagne

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, greasing the parchment paper also.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the champagne, vegetable oil and eggs.  Add the sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Slowly add this mixture to the champagne mixture until combined.  Whisk by hand to get out any lumps.  Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake approximately 27-30 minutes.  Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.  

To prepare the frosting, beat the butter in a stand mixer until soft and smooth.  Add in 3 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add about half of the champagne, then add the remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time.  Once this mixture is combined, add the remaining champagne a little bit at a time until the frosting is desired consistency.  If the frosting is too thick, add a little more champagne a small amount at a time.  If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar a small amount at a time.

Once the cakes have cooled, place one layer onto a serving plate or cake stand.  Frost the top of this layer before placing the second layer on top.  Frost the top of the second layer, and if desired the sides of the cake layers as well.  Leave the sides plain if you desire the "naked cake" look like I did.  This makes a lot of frosting so decorate as you desire.

Slice and Enjoy,