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- Raspberry Vanilla Cake with Champagne Frosting
Raspberry Vanilla Cake with Champagne Frosting
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A soft vanilla cake layered with raspberry jam and CHAMPAGNE FROSTING. Let’s get this party started.
There is a famous quote:
“A party without a cake is just a meeting.”
I concur. What good is a party without a cake, anyhow? Isn’t that, like, the point of a party? To eat cake?
Well now we all know my priorities.
I’ve been thinking for a few months how I haven’t seen people post, like, celebratory day cakes. Not like July 4th cake, but Graduation cake. There’s no official cake for having a graduation.
Until now.
Because how right does it seem to have champagne frosting at your graduation party?
Of course, I feel like every year is a graduation of some sort. Graduating another year of life; bookending a time and/or a place. So if you’re not officially graduating, you can make this anyways 🙂
Of course, no vanilla cake is complete without Rodelle vanilla extract. I’ve been working with Rodelle for over year now and it is my absolute favorite vanilla extract. The company has a great mission, works directly with all of their farmers, and produces products of amazing quality (Oh my god, their baking cocoa. I talk about it all the time).
You can find Rodelle at almost all major grocery stores. And I’m telling you, it’s totally, totally worth it to have a “good vanilla extract,” as Queen Ina Garten would say.
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Graduation Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (canola works, too)
- 2 tablespoons Rodelle pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
For the champagne buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups champagne (eventually 3 tablespoons reduced)
- 3/4 cups salted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Rodelle pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8 -1/2″ cake pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whip eggs and both sugars for 3 minutes. Add in oil and Rodelle vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift together baking powder, flour, and salt. Fold half of flour mixture into wet ingredients, then pour in half of your milk. Repeat with remaining flour and remaining milk.
- Pour batter equally into three prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Simmer 1 1/2 cups of champagne in a small saucepan over low heat for about 25 minutes, swirling the pan every few minutes to prevent burning. You want to end up with a little over 3 tablespoons of champagne. It will happen! Once reduced, allow to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, whip butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in 3 tablespoons reduced champagne and powdered sugar, whipping for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag with a large circular tip (a piping bag sans tip is fine).
- To to assemble the cake, place first layer of cake on cake stand, then generously pipe a circle of frosting around the outer edge of the top of the cake. In a random pattern, pipe frosting into middle of cake, then smooth out middle of frosting with a spatula, keeping the edge/outer rim of the frosting intact. (Basically you’re making a super shallow divot for the raspberry jam). Fill inner divot with 1/3 cup raspberry jam, spreading it evenly.
- Repeat with second layer.
- For third layer, frost top of cake normally, then frost outside with remaining frosting. Use a cake spatula to scrape frosting from sides to create “naked” look.
- Top with blackberries, edible beads, and edible flowers. If you use a sparkler, be aware that some ashes may end up on the top of the cake. I’d make sure you scrape this off before eating!
To make the champagne frosting
This post is sponsored by Rodelle. All opinions are 100% my own.
Hi! Can you sub avocado oil for vegetable oil in this recipe?
Yes! Any neutral flavored oil will work great for this cake!
Questions. I don’t drink, so what kind of champagne should I use, and should the raspberry jam be cooked down so it will be easier to spread?
Hi Gina1 Any kind of champagne will work–I usually just use what is cheapest 🙂 For the jam, make sure you’re using preserves rather than jelly (it will be easier to spread and tastier!)–just use it straight from the jar!
Did not taste of champagne for some reason. Maybe I bought wrong champagne, or did not reduce it properly.
I also made the mistake of baking the cake for 24 minutes (I was using two 9 inch pans) instead of 20 minutee and the sponge became dry. I would also recommend following the instruction of spreading the buttercream before putting the jam because jam further soaks the sponge.