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.
