Champagne Velvet Cake

This ultra moist Champagne Velvet Cake recipe is sure to make any occasion feel more special.

The layers are moist and soft with a light champagne flavor. It is filled with sweetened whipped cream and frosted with creamy champagne buttercream. We hope that you enjoy it!

Table of Contents

Ingredients for Champagne Cake

You can find the full recipe further down in this post. Here is a quick look at our star ingredients for the cake layers.

Butter- We used unsalted since we add our salt separately.
Cream Cheese- the "secret ingredient" that lends a wonderful texture!
Sugar
Large Eggs, room temperature (if in a hurry, place in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes).
Cake Flour, Baking Powder & Baking Soda, Salt
Champagne of choice (We used Andre Brut)
Vegetable oil
Vanilla Extract

How to Make Champagne Cake

You can find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post. Let's take a quick look at our steps!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans, adding a circle of parchment or wax paper to the bottom of each pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds and set aside.
In another bowl, add the champagne, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and cream cheese and mix at medium speed until smooth.

Gradually add the sugar and mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.

Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the champagne mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (We did 3 additions of the dry mixture, 2 additions of wet)
Mix the batter just until well combined- be careful not to over-mix. Divide the batter between the three pans.

Bowl of batter for Champagne Velvet Cake.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack before turning out.

Champagne Velvet Cake Layers, freshly baked.

Champagne Syrup

Each cake layer was lightly brushed with champagne syrup- this is an optional step but it really gives the cake an extra boost for champagne flavor.

We combined the champagne and sugar and heated in the microwave until the sugar had dissolved (you'll need to give it a stir to help things along).

You could also do this step in a saucepan on the stovetop if you prefer!

Whipped Cream Filling

We filled our cake layers with sweetened whipped cream filling. You can never go wrong with whipped cream, and it complements today's cake layers perfectly.

Using a chilled bowl and beaters, simply whip together the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

*Champagne buttercream makes a great filling also if you prefer to use frosting.

Champagne Buttercream Frosting

Today's champagne buttercream is a twist on our classic buttercream recipe, but with the addition of champagne instead of milk.

This is a combination of butter, powdered sugar, champagne, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. It is creamy and delicious, and pipes perfectly. You'll notice just a hint of champagne flavor.

Assembling the Cake

Once the cake layers have completely cooled, it is time to put it all together!

We placed the first cake layer on the cake pedestal, and then applied a light coating of champagne syrup using a silicone pastry brush.

Brushing Champagne Syrup over a cake layer.

Next, pipe a dam of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer (about ¼-1/2 inch from the edge). This is going to keep the whipped cream contained. Spread a layer of the whipped cream within the dam.

Filling the cake layers with whipped cream.

Next, add the second cake layer and repeat the steps above with the simple syrup, dam, and filling. Top with the third cake layer and brush with the champagne syrup.

At this point, fill in any remaining gaps between the cake layers with frosting. Apply a thin "crumb coat" of frosting on top and around the sides of the cake.

We like to chill the cake for 15 minutes (or chill longer in the refrigerator) to firm up the frosting before applying the final layer of frosting. This chilling step helps to prevent the layers from shifting as you frost the cake.

Finally, apply the second layer of frosting and decorate the cake however you like! We combed around the sides of the cake and then added a decorative border using a tip 21.

Champagne Velvet Cake, sliced on a cake plate.

Recipe FAQs

Yes, because of the whipped cream filling, this cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, for the very best flavor and especially texture, the cake should be removed from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving so that it can warm and soften. This is because butter becomes firm when refrigerated.

Many of our favorite cake recipes call for softened cream cheese in the cake batter. It not only adds moisture and richness but makes for a really nice texture. We often refer to these cakes as "velvet cakes" and have made many!

Some of our most popular are our White Velvet Cake, Lemon Velvet Cake, Coconut Velvet Cake and White Chocolate Velvet Cake but there are many more.

Yes! Just as with the majority of our cake recipes, these cake layers can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap followed by foil and frozen for up to three months!

When ready to thaw, move the wrapped layers to the kitchen counter and remove the wrapping after about 20 minutes (after condensation has formed on the outside). Continue to thaw to desired amount for decorating. (Some decorators like to assemble cakes when the layers are still partially frozen as they are less fragile.)