The recipe I followed originally called for almond champagne. I am not a fan of almond flavor, but if you are I hear Trader Joe’s carries a great almond Champagne. Because we are cooking with the Champagne, I just used a cheap brand, the $5 one. When you cook with Champagne or wine, the quality does not matter; you will not notice the difference.
I made this cake for my mother-in-law. She and I share a love of lemon and Champagne is a favorite of hers, so the two together were perfect for her birthday cake! This cake is dense and not too sweet, and the frosting perfectly tops off this cake for a touch of sweetness. And look how pretty it is, too. Perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch or dessert.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup softened butter
2 cups granulated sugar
5 whole eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Juice and zest of one lemon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Champagne
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamed and smooth, just like you would starting a cookie dough.
Once the butter and sugar are creamed, slowly mix in the dry ingredients.
Once the batter is mixed together, add the Champagne and stir slowly. Watch out; it will bubble up!
I used my fancy new Pampered Chef stoneware Bundt pan, but any Bundt pan you have is good. Even two 9-inch regular cake pans would do; it’s just prettier and fancier looking in a Bundt pan. (Note: If you use a regular cake pan, you may need to adjust the time. Watch it closely; the top should be light-brown and a toothpick inserted should come out clean. I would check it at 30 minutes.)
Spray your pan with oil or wipe the inside of the pan with butter.
Pour in the batter and put into a preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour.
FROSTING
Whisk together
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. heavy cream (or milk)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside until the cake is almost cooled.
If the cake is semi-warm, the frosting can melt a little and will drip down the sides in the most delicious way. (The original recipe called for Champagne in place of the milk, but my kids were going to eat this so I opted out of the Champagne. Let me know if you try it and leave a comment about it!)
Serve with a nice glass of Champagne!