This Champagne Bundt Cake is a simple yet elegant dessert for any celebration. It’s a classic butter cake with a tender crumb, made special with the addition of sparkling wine in both the batter and the sweet glaze.
With about 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of baking, this cake comes together without much fuss. The longest part is letting it cool completely, which is important for the glaze to set properly. It’s a great make-ahead dessert for a party.
Why is Champagne Bundt Cake a Must-Try?
Creaming the butter and sugar for several minutes incorporates air, which gives the cake a light and fluffy texture.
Alternating the dry and wet ingredients helps prevent overmixing the batter, ensuring a tender crumb instead of a tough one.
Using room temperature ingredients allows the batter to mix together smoothly and evenly, creating a uniform final bake.
Ingredients for Champagne Bundt Cake
• Champagne: Any dry sparkling wine you enjoy drinking will work well. Prosecco, Cava, or a domestic sparkling wine are all suitable options.
• Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the saltiness of the cake. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon.
• Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature will incorporate more easily into the batter, leading to a better cake structure.
• All-Purpose Flour: This recipe was developed with all-purpose flour. You can substitute cake flour for a finer crumb, but it’s not necessary.
Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Champagne Bundt Cake
Step 1: Prepare Pan and Dry Ingredients
First, set your oven to 350°F and generously grease and flour your bundt pan. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt so they are ready to go.
Step 2: Mix the Cake Batter
Start by creaming the softened butter with sugar until it’s light in color and texture. Beat in the eggs one by one, followed by the vanilla. Then, alternate adding the dry ingredient mixture and the champagne, mixing on low speed just until the batter comes together.
Step 3: Bake and Cool the Cake
Pour the finished batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a skewer shows it’s done. Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool down all the way.
Step 4: Make the Glaze and Serve
While the cake cools, whisk powdered sugar and champagne together to form a smooth, pourable glaze. Once the cake is completely cool, pour the glaze over the top. Allow it to set before you slice and serve.
What to Serve with Champagne Bundt Cake
This cake is lovely on its own or served with a side of fresh raspberries or strawberries.
Expert Tips for Champagne Bundt Cake
For the best texture, ensure your butter, eggs, and champagne are all at room temperature before you begin.
Properly preparing your bundt pan is key to a clean release. Use melted butter or baking spray and get into all the crevices, then dust with flour.
You can use any dry (Brut) sparkling wine, such as Prosecco or Cava, in place of Champagne.
The cake is done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter.
How to Store and Freeze Champagne Bundt Cake
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be frozen, unglazed, for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before glazing and serving.
Champagne Bundt Cake Recipe FAQs
Does the alcohol bake out of the cake?
Most, but not all, of the alcohol will bake off during cooking. A small amount will remain in the finished cake and in the raw glaze.
Can I make this cake non-alcoholic?
Yes, you can substitute the champagne with an equal amount of sparkling white grape juice, ginger ale, or a lemon-lime soda for a similar fizziness and flavor profile.
Can I use a different type of pan?
You can, but baking times will change. For two 9-inch round pans, start checking for doneness around 30 minutes. For a 9×13-inch pan, check around 35 minutes.
Champagne Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360 g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, 227 g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 g
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup Champagne or dry sparkling wine room temperature, 240 ml
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 180 g
- 3 to 4 tablespoons Champagne or dry sparkling wine 45 to 60 ml
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the champagne in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined; do not overmix.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, carefully invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of champagne until smooth. Add more champagne, one teaspoon at a time, to reach a pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
