30 Dec Champagne & St. Germain New Year’s Layer Cake
Can you believe another year has come and gone? And more importantly, that Christmas is already over?!
Don’t judge me, but I’ve always enjoyed Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. Christmas Day is so final. There is over a month of build up and while Christmas Day should perhaps be the climax of it all, it’s also a sign that the best part of the year is coming to a close.
I know, I know. That’s not what Christmas is supposed to be all about.
Call me a brat, but I’m always going to feel a twinge of sadness as dusk begins to fall on Christmas Day. It means the twinkle lights (my favorite) have to come down and that I have to take my Mariah Carey/Glee Christmas playlist off of repeat. No more binging on cookies without abandon or leaving the house wearing my tacky Christmas sweater just for fun (read: because I don’t feel like picking out real clothes).
But at least there is New Year’s to look forward to! Especially this year, because I am in BELIZE!
It’s been wonderful so far except for one thing…it’s cloudy. The sun has come out in short spurts but for the most part we’ve had complete cloud cover. Can you do a little sun dance for me? I can’t come back from my tropical vacation without a tan!
I will put together a couple blog posts about my experiences here (pictures included) once I am back. For now, let’s talk New Year’s Cake.
I’ve had champagne + St.Germain cocktails several times and I always love the combination of the crisp bubbles and the herbal sweetness of the liquor. This cake is three layers of Heather’s Champagne Cake, brushed with St. Germain, and layered with fluffy St. Germain buttercream. This is the stuff of celebrations.
Fair warning before you make this cake, St. Germaine is not cheap. As in, $40 for the large bottle, though I think you can get it much cheaper on Amazon. And if you’re me, approximately $30 of the $40 bottle is spilled all over the trunk of your car. It was not a good day.
To balance out the wasted fancy liquor, I used Andre champagne – $4 bottle! Which feels slightly disrespectful to the St. Germain, but my palate is not a sophisticated one when it comes to champagne so I figured might as well go with the cheap stuff. (Also, I was really grumpy about the spilled St. Germain and was being a total scrooge.)
Even though it was a thorn in my side as I was preparing to leave for Belize, the cake turned out beautifully, which shines through in the photos even though I was rushed and frazzled. If you’re looking to spruce up your NYE dessert menu with something little special, this is a perfect option. Sweet, boozy, festive.
Happy New Year!! XO, Katie
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 2 cups champagne or sparkling white wine
- 3 tbsp St. Germaine
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/3 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened and cut into 1 tbsp cubes
- 1/4 cup St. Germaine
- gold and silver nonpareils for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Add the egg whites one at a time until well blended.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the champagne in three additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing until just blended.
- Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- When cool, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Using a pastry brush, brush the St. Germain onto the tops of the cakes, splitting the St. Germaine evenly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water.
- Heat, whisking frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
- Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. The bowl will be cool to the touch.
- Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. Note: If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again.
- Blend in the St. Germain until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- To assemble, fill chilled cakes with the buttercream and coat cake in a thin crumb coat. Chill until set. Apply a final thick layer of buttercream using a large off-set spatula. Store cake in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Sarah Staples
Posted at 14:13h, 15 MarchI love this cake! How did you get the pearls/balls to stick? I want to try and remake this for my wedding! Can’t wait to hear back from you.
KWahlman
Posted at 14:17h, 15 MarchHi Sarah! I got the pearls to stick by gently pressing them into the side of the cake with the palm of my hand while the icing was still wet. It’s a bit messy but the result is beautiful. Best of luck!
Denise
Posted at 21:04h, 31 DecemberHappy New Year…my girlfriend is makin it as I text! Alohavfrom Maui!
KWahlman
Posted at 16:39h, 02 JanuaryAwesome, Denise! I hope you enjoyed!!!
Mary
Posted at 14:29h, 17 JanuaryMaking tomorrow, do you prefer salted or unsalted butter.
KWahlman
Posted at 17:48h, 17 JanuaryAwesome, Mary! I use unsalted! Let me know how it goes!
Priscilla Karas
Posted at 20:45h, 17 JanuaryOMG! You’re coming to Belize? Or you were in Belize? I live in Belize! I love St. Germain. I bring my bottles from NY. I enjoy it in Belize! I’m definitely going to make this cake. Enjoy your trip!
KWahlman
Posted at 13:24h, 20 JanuaryHi Priscilla! I actually wrote this post last year, I was in Belize for New Years 2014 and I absolutely LOVED it!! Such a beautiful place and the people were so welcoming! I can’t wait to go back!
John
Posted at 08:17h, 01 FebruaryThe recipe calls for 6 egg whites
2 questions
1) to be more accurate what weight is required for the recipe. Concerned because eggs are different sizes
2 ) why egg whites and not whole eggs?
KWahlman
Posted at 11:12h, 01 FebruaryHi John! One large egg white should weigh about 33 grams, so the total weight for this recipe should be 198 grams. You only use the egg whites because it not only allows for a pure white color but also results in a lighter fluffier cake because you’re eliminating the fat in the egg yolks. Enjoy!
John Dunlap
Posted at 22:28h, 10 FebruaryWhere did you find the silver and gold pearls? They are hard to find. Do you have a backup garnish if the silver/gold nonpareils are not available?
KWahlman
Posted at 09:11h, 11 FebruaryHi John, You should be able to find them at big grocery chains in the baking aisle. If you can’t find them there check your local cakes supply store or Amazon. Alternately you could use nonpareil sprinkles, course sugar sprinkles, or nothing at all! Cake making is all about creativity so have fun with it! Thanks!!
Darleen E. Taylor
Posted at 12:58h, 25 FebruaryI love the way you decorated your cake! But how did you get those gold and silver sprikles to stay on the sides of your cake. That’s amazing!
KWahlman
Posted at 14:23h, 25 FebruaryHi Darleen! I explain in detail in the recipe but you basically just have to gently press handfuls of sprinkles into the icing while it’s still soft! It’s a bit messy but the result is totally worth it!
Melodie
Posted at 13:24h, 08 MayHave you ever frozen the cakes? Seems like you could put them in the freezer instead of fridge. I’m going to try this out for a wedding and would rather have it done ahead of time.
Thanks!
KWahlman
Posted at 18:06h, 08 MayHi Melodie – I have frozen them for a day or two prior to frosting but never long term. I do know that most cakes typically freeze well, so you shouldn’t have a problem!
Ginger Fowler
Posted at 11:50h, 29 JulyHi there! Is it ok to refrigerate the frosting overnight with the cake layers? Thanks!
KWahlman
Posted at 11:26h, 09 AugustYes!
Ginger Fowler
Posted at 11:52h, 29 JulyHi there! Is it ok to refrigerate the frosting with the cake layers? Thanks!
Lynda
Posted at 03:37h, 31 DecemberBeautiful cake. It looks good, but the cake is very dense and not light at all. What could I have done wrong? (I served it anyway and made up a story that it was a special dense-texture cake from Belize…)
Lynda
Posted at 03:39h, 31 DecemberI just sent a comment, but think the email was partial. Please answer at
lyndasueann@yahoo.com