swirled cranberry champagne cake
An end of season cake that's pretty as a firework.
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.
Notes
*To store: Cake will keep at room temperature, covered under a cake stand, for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Individual slices can be sealed in ziptop bags and frozen for up to 3 months.
*Champagne: You can use any sparkling wine if you don't have champagne. I actually used a blac de blanc!