Adorable Pink Champagne Cake

This Pink Champagne Cake tastes just like (surprise, surprise) champagne!

What you need for the cake:

• 1 box of white cake mix
• 1 bottle of the champagne of your choice. I'd recommend a sweeter variety since this is a dessert, and if you're feeling adventurous you could use a strawberry champagne

What you need for the frosting:

• 1 8oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
• 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Directions: 

• Preheat your oven according to the directions for the cake mix and prepare two 8" x 1.5" round pans for cooking by coating them with your choice of butter, Crisco or Pam (assuming they aren't already nonstick).
• If you have a metal mixing bowl, stick it in the freezer (this is for the frosting later on. If you forget to do this, no big, it just speeds up the whipping process).
• Prepare your cake mix according to the package directions, except instead of water, substitute champagne.  
• Pour yourself a glass with the leftovers, and enjoy it.
• If you prefer your cake mix to remain white, leave out the egg yolks. And the train wreck began when I forgot to do this with all three eggs, so naturally, I went to dig it out and broke it before I could. I also happened to leave a few bits of shell in the bowl, which I also had to fish for.  

Note: If you use strawberry champagne, it will likely color your cake mix with a slightly rosy tint.

• Divide your cake mix evenly and spread out in the two-round pans and bake according to the package directions.
• The train wreck continued when I noticed an odd smell as my cake was baking. Whether it was just the typical response from the champagne being heated, the fact that I was finally using those silicone baking pans I got as wedding gifts a year ago, and that's just what they smell like, or my oven is just really dirty, and something was burning on the bottom, I'm not sure. But the cake turned out fine, so if you notice a weird odor as well, chalk it up to baking champagne (or your dirty oven). And then drink the rest of yours.
• While your cake is baking and the rest of your champagne is disappearing, you can start making the frosting. 
• In a large mixing bowl (not the one in the freezer), beat the cream cheese and the butter until it's smooth.  I always forget to layout my cream cheese and butter early enough for it to thaw down to room temperature, so I usually like to cheat and heat it in the microwave a little. This time I opted to leave it out while I was mixing my cake and try it out. Big mistake. My cream cheese was too thick and kept clogging the beaters when I was attempting to mix the icing.  I kept having to stop in the middle of it and push the cream cheese out.  The head-on my spatula kept falling off the stick, so I tried using my fingers. Of course, I accidentally turned the beater ON while my finger was in it... the train wreck continues. After you've mixed the cream cheese and butter, add in the sugar and the jam.  Now it's time for your frozen bowl.  Beat the heavy whipping cream in the cold bowl until it forms peaks, and fold your whipped cream into the cream cheese frosting.  Once again, as I was struggling with my cream cheese frosting that was too thick, I managed to knock the hand-held beater, which was resting in my bowl, into the floor at which point it turned itself on and splattered whipped cream frosting all over my kitchen, and all over me.  Those friends invoked the facepalm of failure. Time for another glass of champagne. Let the good times roll! After your icing is finished, put it in the fridge for a bit, so it stays thick.  Once you've removed your cake from the oven, let it cool.  For easier icing efficiency, you can freeze the cake, but that is not necessary.  Once your cake is cool, put one layer face down on the cake stand and slather it with your frosting. Add a layer of sliced strawberries and then stack your next layer. Before you frost the top of the cake, add another layer of sliced strawberries and then cover.
•  For the garnish, I arranged strawberries into a rosette and used mint as the leaves.  To achieve a whipped look for the frosting, slather it on thick and then use the tip of a frosting spatula (or even the end of the handle on your regular spatula) to draw circles here and there until you achieve your desired look. You ought to be nearing the end of that bottle of champagne at this point, so drawing crazy frosting circles should be a breeze!

 The final cake is not only fun and pretty, it’s delicious! Strawberries and champagne are totally meant for each other! We hope that you enjoy this cake as much as we have!

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Party on, Smarties! With love Smarty had a Party!