swirled cranberry champagne cake
Today is my 29th birthday.
29 is a weird number to me. I’m still in my 20s, yet pretty much not. I feel like I might as well tell people I’m 30 because 365 days between the two is pretty insignificant. I guess you could say that about any age.
Ever since I turned, oh, 25, I’ve been quite solemn about my birthday. Milestones become less frequent and, as someone with a heavy load of mental health struggles, are replaced by awareness of mortality. Yeah yeah, I’m not old, but some I love are aging right before me, and considering how quickly the calendar ticks, soon 30 turns to 40, 40 to 50, and so forth. I can’t not think like that, because anxiety is so strong in my soul.
Solemn isn’t quite the right word this year. I downright dislike the fact that my birthday arrived. It means the holidays are over (never much for New Years, considering the proximity of my birthday), and aside from a few important birthdays in between, my favorite season lies once again at the other end of the summer swamp. I’m having a difficult time reconciling with the moving calendar. People wished me happy birthday at work and instead of a smile and a gracious thank you, I got offended. I didn’t even want it acknowledged. I’d rather shirk under the counter and get accidentally swept into a dust pan.
I know, not the most cheerful of narratives for a post about cake. But I never like to lie about mental illness, and this is honestly how I’ve been lately. Not quite right, not all there. One might argue I have one foot padding on Rock Bottom. Just in time for 29.
But they also say, a new year can bring new beginnings? Some naysayers chip “BUT WHY NOT START TODAY?”; because sometimes today is scary. Today is unmanageable. If anything comes from turning 29, it’s that I have another proverbial chapter to start. Maybe if I can wipe away this grimace and enjoy this first day of 29.
And, a slice of cake. This one is pretty cool. Use up the last of the festive cranberries (stores are alrighty wiping their shelves of the bright red fruit) and make a jam to swirl into a unique champagne-infused vanilla cake batter. The remaining jam is plopped in between the two layers (or three, if you make a smaller cake) and everything is clothed in a cape of vanilla buttercream. Didn’t want to go fancy on the frosting to let the boozy taste shine through.
The batter looks very goofy in its creation process, but not to fear. Those anomalies are normal, and I’ll walk you through them.
This Is My Jam
First, make your jam. I altered the reduction from my cranberry salmon and crostini for a sweeter batch. Just let everything simmer down until jammy. Wow. Jammy jam. Do it in your jammies to really make it your jam.
Cool the cranberry concoction completely. I like alliteration. When you’re ready, whip up the cake. The ingredients are pretty standard for a cake, except when the wet and dry are combined, use champagne instead of buttermilk as your liquid. Stream it in as you slowly mix the batter, until just mixed together. The result will be bubbly and sort of airy and might look a bit curdled, but this is normal. Carbonation has that effect.
Swirl in some of the cranberry jam. Don’t get overzealous with your spatula, you want some of the swizzles to peek through.
Dump the batter into two greased 9-inch pans or three greased 6-inch pans. Spread to even out the top. Bake until the layers no longer wiggle while they’re jiggling free. Depending on your oven, the time ranges 35-45 minutes. Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minute, then flip onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosty the Cakeman
I initially thought of doing something a bit more fancy shmancy with the frosting, but in the end I thought a nice soft vanilla frosting did the cake justice. That way, the cranberries and champagne would burst through uninterrupted.
I like a good whipped texture in any buttercream, so I add a decent amount of heavy cream along with powdered sugar, butter, and lots of vanilla. The frosting should be soft and spreadable.
That leftover cranberry jam comes to use here. Set one layer of cake on a stand or plate and, using a piping bag or a ziptop with a corner snipped off, pipe a barrier of frosting, leaving the center naked. Spread the remaining jam in that little hole. Set the second cake layer atop and frost the rest of the cake. You may have some leftover frosting, so put it to use with some creative swirls or piped-on designs. I suck at that part, so I avoided fucking up my concoction and didn’t do much intense adornment. I kept it easy with some roses I have on my bookshelf and leftover fresh berries. Just make sure people don’t eat either of those, they don’t taste so great.
Slice up the cake and serve, or cover and store at room temperature (3 days), in the fridge (5 days), or the freezer (3 months). This makes a beautiful centerpiece for a New Years party or any upcoming winter birthdays. Served with a crisp glass of champagne, of course.
Cheers to you. Thanks for being here, even if you haven’t necessarily wanted to be.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Cozy treats:
Chai Cupcakes with Bourbon Espresso Frosting
Dirty Coconut Chai Tres Leches Cake
swirled cranberry champagne cake
Ingredients
cranberry filling
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
champagne cake
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups champagne, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup cranberry jam (recipe above)
vanilla buttercream
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream, as needed
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a sauce pot. Simmer the berries until jammy, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch or 3 6-inch cake pans generously with butter.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, and Greek yogurt until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. The batter may curdle a bit from the yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, stream in the champagne and mix until just combined. The batter will froth and take on a puffy texture. This is normal! Swirl in the cranberry jam with a spatula. Do not overmix – you want swirls in the batter.
- Divide the batter amongst the cake pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the center no longer jiggles and an inserted toothpick emerges clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- To make the buttercream: beat together the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons more cream to create a "whipped" texture.
- Lay one layer of cake on a cake stand or plate. Pipe a 1/2-1 inch barrier around the circumference (see photos for reference). Spread the remaining cranberry jam in the middle of the frosting fence. Set the second cake layer on top. Frost the cake generously. Adorn with fresh cranberries and flowers, as desired.
