I remember as a young girl, always getting a Pink Champagne cake for my birthday. My birthday happens to be on New Years Eve and quite possible one of the worst days of the year to have a birthday!
My Mom always picked out the cake and SHE loved the Pink Champagne cake (Which was also always decorated more like a New Years celebration than a birthday cake). I kind of resented the fact that my cake didn't look very "birthday-ish".
Luckily, over the years I grew out of my birthday cake funk and appreciated this amazing cake. Who couldn't LOVE a cake with white chocolate shavings, Bavarian Cream and the dense pound cake and layers of butter cream frosting?
I've spent several months trying to perfect this cake and was quite surprised to determine, there is NO champagne in this cake whatsoever! I believe the original creators of this particular cake, named it "Pink Champagne" simply because of it's color and design.
First, on my trip to Napa's Buttercream Bakery - I bought ONE single slice of this amazing cake. This single slice is what I slowly ate to figure out the ingredients. It took me 3 days to eat the single slice, and I thought I had the ingredients. But no luck. I was close.... But something was missing - the key ingredient. I didn't believe it was Champagne!
After seeking the help of a wise friend (Who used to work at Buttercream) I got my final and secret ingredient. Viola! Now I have the recipe for my very own~! Now, with Pink Champagne Cake recipe in my signature recipe card file I plan to enter this amazing cake in the local fair this year!
Even more wonderful - I can make this cake for my birthday each year.. and decorate it LIKE A BIRTHDAY cake --- and I won't have to drive 10 hours to Napa to get one!
Hi Denise,
ReplyDeleteI, too, grew up with this cake when I would go to visit my grandmother in St. Helena. I live in Montana. Is there any possible way you would share this recipe with me? I would never ever let anyone else have it. I would be so appreciative! Jennifer
Thanks Jennifer for your inquiry. Here's the basic recipe I use. It's way easier than you think.
ReplyDeleteCream filing:
1 box of instant vanilla pudding. (Or, a bavarian cream filling of your choice)
1 1/4 to 1/ 1/2 cup of whole milk. ( It depends on how much Cream Sherry you want to flavor with ) I use 1/4 cup of Cream Sherry. and 1 1/4 cup of whole milk.
2 cups of cool whip
Mix and beat well, then chill well before using as filling.
Cake is a pound cake,
use your own favorite pound cake recipe. I find that Betty Crocker has an excellent boxed pound cake too! Use pink food coloring to make the cake a pretty pink if you'd like!
Cream Sherry is "painted" on the layers of the pound cake with a pastry brush. Do not saturate the cake.
It's best to use 3 layers of cake and 2 layers of the cream filling.
The frosting is a plain butter cream frosting, made with whipping cream instead of milk. The more you beat the butter cream, the more light it becomes. You want a nice light butter cream!
Sprinkle white chocolate shavings (Or pink chocolate shavings) as the topping/accents with a few marachino cherries.
Let me know if you have any questions...I am one of those bakers that doesn't write down recipes!
Once you've made this cake, let me know how it came out!
Denise Pandey
Thanks so much, Denise! Great hints! :) I will let you know how it turns out!
DeleteI, too, grew up in Napa & Santa Rosa in the 70s & 80s where a Champagne Cake from Buttercream was always ordered for special occasions. (Yes -- we drove over the hill to get it!) I'm in Kentucky now and recently have been thinking about this cake. Ok -- craving it! Thanks for your research and recipe -- will give it a try and let you know how it turns out.
ReplyDelete