New Year's Champagne Cake

Time :4

Yield :10 servings

Recipe Background

This just has to be the most amazing cake to make a splash during the holidays... it certainly is the best cake for ringing in the new year and celebrating new beginnings! New Year's Champagne Cake incorporates the sunny luxury of Champagne into every facet of itself — from the fluffy, creamy Champagne buttercream frosting to the Champagne reduction brushed generously into the tender cake itself... and it's even in the cake batter! Of course, some bright citrus flavors help this stand out even more as a welcoming and magical dessert! New Year's Champagne Cake knows how to celebrate, that is for sure!

Ingredients

For the citrus curd:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon blood orange zest
3 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh blood orange juice
salt to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter diced

For the citrus cake:

butter to taste, for greasing the cake pans
2 cups all-purpose flour plus more, to taste, for dusting the cake pans
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange or blood orange zest
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon butter flavoring optional
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces Champagne from a 750ml bottle

For the Champagne reduction and buttercream:

21 1/4 ounces Champagne the remaining Champagne from the bottle used for the cake
1 cup butter room temperature
1 cup shortening
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 cups powdered sugar
orange slices optional, to taste, for garnish

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of the Meyer lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the orange zest, and the blood orange zest and, using your clean fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant and the sugar is yellowish-orange in color.
Add 3 of the eggs to the sugar mixture and using an electric handheld mixer, beat until completely combined.
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add the egg mixture, the Meyer lemon juice, the orange juice, and the blood orange juice and whisk to combine.
Cook the egg mixture, while whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a curd, about 10-15 minutes. The curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Reduce the heat to low.
Add the extra salt and 4 tablespoons of the diced butter to the curd and whisk to combine until the butter is completely melted and incorporated.
Transfer the curd to a heatproof bowl or container and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd. This prevents a skin from forming on the curd.
Chill the curd for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Keep the curd refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the cake.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using the extra butter, grease two 8-inch cake pans, then using the extra flour, lightly dust the greased pans.
In a large bowl, add 2 cups of the remaining flour, the baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
In a separate bowl, add the remaining granulated sugar, the remaining Meyer lemon zest, and the remaining orange zest and, using your clean fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is very fragrant and the sugar is yellowish-orange in color.
Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
Add the remaining eggs, the oil, the lemon extract, the butter flavoring, and the milk to the flour mixture and, using a clean electric handheld mixer on medium speed, beat until just blended into a batter. Do not overmix.
Add 4 ounces of the Champagne to the batter and stir to combine.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
Bake until the cakes are golden-brown and are set in the center, about 23-25 minutes.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely, about 1 hour.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining Champagne and allow it to simmer until reduced to about 1 cup in volume, about 20-30 minutes.
Allow the Champagne reduction to cool completely.
Cover the Champagne reduction with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the remaining 1 cup of the room temperature butter and the shortening and beat on medium speed until combined, fluffy, and pale yellow in color.
Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with a whisk attachment.
Add the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of the reserved Champagne reduction, and 1/2 of the powdered sugar to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until mostly combined.
Scrape the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Add the remaining powdered sugar to the butter mixture and mix until it is combined into a fluffy frosting.
Using a cake saw or a serrated knife, remove the domed tops of the cake layers. Discard the domed cake tops or reserve them for a separate use.
Carefully cut each of the cakes in half horizontally to create 4 thin cake layers.
Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of each of the cake layers with the remaining Champagne reduction.
Place 1 of the cake layers on a serving plate or a cake stand.
Top the cake layer on the serving plate with a thin layer of the frosting.
Using a piping bag, pipe a border of frosting around the top of the cake layer on the serving plate. This is critical for keeping the curd from escaping the cake layers.
Transfer the curd from the refrigerator and stir or whisk it.
Using a tablespoon, spoon 2-3 tablespoonfuls of the curd on top of the cake layer on the serving plate and spread it out evenly to the edges of the frosting border.
Add 1 of the remaining cake layers on top of the curd layer. Top the cake layer with a thin layer of the frosting, then using a piping bag, pipe a border of frosting around the top of the cake layer. Spoon 2-3 tablespoonfuls of the curd on top of the cake layer and spread it out evenly to the edges of the frosting border. Repeat these processes with 1 of the remaining cake layers.
Add the remaining cake layer on top of the curd layer.
Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake and the outer edges, spreading it out until smooth and the entire cake is coated in the frosting.
Garnish the cake with the orange slices.
Serve.