Strawberry Champagne Cake

Yum
Last week I found 2 new favorite blogs, This Gal Cooks and Frugal Foodie Mama.  While exploring their blogs I signed up for a  Spiked Recipe Challenge.  In this months challenge you have to use Champagne in your entry.

 

I decided I was going to do a desert.  Strawberries and Champagne just seem to go together.  After that thought, I decided to make a cake.  I started with the idea of making my cake like the sunsational cake I have made in the past.  I knew I wanted a white cake mix and strawberry jello.  When shopping for my champagne I picked a blush champagne, that just seemed more like it would go with strawberries.  I always like to add pudding to my cakes as it seems to just make them a little fluffier. Since it was called a Strawberry Champagne Cake I felt it should actually have some strawberry puree in the cake instead of just the strawberry jello flavoring.

The icing I put on the cake was adapted from Cally's graduation cake.  The Dream Whip icing is scrumptious.  What could be better than a butter cream icing with the addition of Champagne...yummy!  I found the idea to make a strawberry flower on my cake from another of my favorite blogs , Lick the Bowl Good.......Thanks Monica !

Stay tuned and I will let you know how I do with my entry in the Spiked Recipe Challenge.

Strawberry Champagne Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 small box strawberry jello
3/4 C champagne
1/2 C oil
1/2 C crushed strawberries
1 small box white chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs



Mix together and beat for 3 minutes

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round pans.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Cool cake completely on cooling racks before icing.


Champagne Dream Whip Icing

1 oz Dream Whip
1/2 C cold champagne
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 t almond extract
1 T butter, softened
3 T heavy whipping cream
2 C shortening
2 lbs powdered sugar

Strawberries for decorating the top

Combine dream whip, champagne, vanilla extract and almond extract with a mixer on low until combined, increase speed to high and whip until mixture begins to look fluffy (about 4 minutes)

Add shortening, whipping cream and butter.  Combine with mixer on low speed, scrapping sides of bowl as needed.  Once combined, mix on high for about 2 minute.  It should look like frosting.  Add powdered sugar, 1 C at a time, mixing on low after each addition.


Decorating tip:

I used an egg slicer to slice my strawberries.  Then I start at the edge of the cake going around the cake until I come to a little hole in the center where I placed a whole strawberry.