You don’t need a special occasion to create this stunning pink Champagne cake! Host your own high tea and enjoy this sweet and decadent dessert with your favourite hot beverage.

MAKES 1 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the champagne cake
375 g cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 egg whites
250 ml rosé sparkling wine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
400 g caster sugar
225 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp pink food colouring
For the buttercream icing
250 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
500 g icing sugar
1 tsp pink food colouring
Edible flowers, to decorate

METHOD
For the champagne cake
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease and line two 22 cm cake tins.
3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites, sparkling wine, oil and vanilla.
5. In a third bowl, cream together the sugar and butter with an electric beater until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
6. Add of the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture; then add ½ of the liquid ingredients. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients, mixing well. Add the pink colouring.
7. Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out.
For the buttercream icing
1. Beat the butter with an electric beater until smooth; then add the vanilla.
2. Add sugar and colouring. Beat on medium speed until it is a spreadable consistency.
3. When it is completely cool, sandwich the layers together with icing and ice the top and sides.
4. Decorate the cake with edible flowers of your choice.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli