Champagne Mimosa Cake Recipe (Alcohol-Free!) - Sugar & Sparrow (2024)

Prep Time:35 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Champagne Cake

• 2 3/4 Cups (290g) sifted cake flour*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs + 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp Amoretti Champagne Compound
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240g) whole milk, room temperature

Orange Juice Reduction

• 3/4 Cup (180ml) orange juice

Orange Buttercream

• 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 1/4 Cups (630g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 Cup (60ml) orange juice reduction, room temperature
• 2 tsp orange zest from one mandarin or other small orange
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• pinch of salt, or to taste

Garnish

• 6 candied orange slices** recipe in notes

Make the Champagne Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan.

• Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the Amoretti Champagne Compound, vanilla, and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.

• Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.

• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make the Orange Juice Reduction

• Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until the orange juice has reduced to about ¼ Cup. Pour the reduced orange juice into an airtight container and place it into the refrigerator to cool to room temperature before moving on with the recipe.

Make the Orange Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.

• Add the sifted powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition.

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• Add the orange juice reduction, orange zest, vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.

Assembly

• Once the champagne cakes are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of orange buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with orange buttercream. Crumb coat the cake with orange buttercream, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.

• To create the design pictured, frost a smooth buttercream finish onto the cake with orange buttercream but keep the top edge raw, meaning don’t swipe it inward to create sharp edges. Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 2D and pipe swirls on top of the cake. Slice the candied oranges in half and place them in between each swirl.

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need.

Candied Orange Slices: you can find these at some grocery stores but I made mine from scratch using this recipe and one mandarin orange: https://www.poetryandpies.com/home/candied-orange-slices

Make Ahead Tips:

1. The champagne cakes can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left out at room temperature up to two days ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and frosting.
2. The orange buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency, then fold in the sprinkles.