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Gluten free champagne cake is a light, fluffy yellow cake made with champagne in the batter, and a super easy 7-minute frosting. Try a nonalcoholic version with ginger ale, and share it with the kids.
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Okay, before you get all upset with me that I'm suggesting you feed champagne to your underage children with this gluten free champagne cake, you can easily make these kid-friendly by substituting ginger ale for the sparkling wine. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk champagne cake.
This recipe was requested by one lovely reader (we're all looking at you Michelle Moses Beck!), who was tired of living with just the memory of her local bakery's cake. She wanted something special and fancy to ring in the New Year.
So do I! And I'm betting that you do, too. Or you're at least willing to play along.
Since I had never heard of much less made champagne cake, I had only Michelle's description to go by: a light and fluffy yellow cake, made with champagne. I made it as a small layer cake (topped with some toasted coconut, because I think it's pretty), using ginger ale in place of sparkling wine, and it was fabulous.
The frosting on the cake is a 7-minute frosting, made with ginger ale (or sparkling wine) in place of water. So easy, and so delicious.
It's almost like marshmallow fluff, like the creamy stuff that forms the base for our marshmallow cream fudge, but a bit thicker and glossier (and the egg whites are cooked to 160°F). Personally, I love love love it just like that.
Then I made it as cupcakes (twice), made with sparkling wine. Even better, because sparkling wine just, well, tastes better than ginger ale. The frosting on the cupcakes is swiss meringue buttercream, which is just, basically, 7-minute frosting with butter beaten into it.
I used this post by Sweetapolita as my guide, as she's just all up in the frosting business. She solved a lot of the mystery surrounding swiss meringue buttercream, and even has a nickname for it (“SMB” – so clever).
The cake (or cupcake) batter is so light and fluffy, and I'm gonna have to insist that you follow the instructions to the letter (or as close are you're willing to get to that – you know you hate being told what to do!). I tried more than one method (since I was making the whole thing up, ‘course), and following a method similar to the one I use to make gluten free sponge cake makes all the difference.
And, yes, you really do need to use a gum-free basic flour blend, and add just a bit of xanthan gum or the cake is kind of tough. If you just won't do that, I can't vouch for the results so don't yell at me!
These are some of the best yellow cupcakes I've ever had, in fact. Light and fluffy, and still really moist, these cupcakes are really something special to ring in the New Year.
Gluten Free Champagne Cake
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle and whisk attachments
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
For the cake or cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cup (245 g) gum-free gluten free flour blend, (162 g superfine white rice flour + 54 g potato starch + 29 g tapioca starch/flour)
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch, (replace with more Cup4Cup if that is your all purpose gluten free flour blend)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg, separated, at room temperture
- 1 (25 g) egg white, at room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (5 ⅓ fluid ounces) sparkling wine, (can substitute ginger ale for an alcohol-free version)
For the champagne frosting
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup sparkling wine, (can substitute ginger ale for an alcohol-free version)
- 5 (150 g) egg whites
- 24 tablespoons (336 g) unsalted butter, cubed and kept cool (but not cold)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make the cake or cupcakes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. If making a cake, grease a 9-inch round baking pan and set it aside. If making cupcakes, grease or line the wells of a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the gum-free flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 3/4 cup (150 g) of the granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl of dry ingredients aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, place the 2 egg whites and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, and beat again on medium speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.
- Still using the whisk attachment, beat in the egg yolk and butter on medium speed. The mixture will be thick and the egg whites will deflate a bit, but the mixture will still be fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients and the sparkling wine, alternating one and then the other, and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. The batter will be pale yellow and fluffy.
- If making a cake, transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread and shake into an even layer. If making cupcakes, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin tins (filling them about 3/4 of the way full).
- Place the cake or cupcakes in the center of the preheated oven and bake until pale golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 19 minutes for cupcakes, 25 minutes for a cake).
- Remove the cake or cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting.
- Clean the bowl of your stand mixer, place the sugar, cream of tartar, and sparkling wine and egg whites, and whisk to combine well.
- Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the bowl, making sure the tip of the thermometer is in the liquid and not on the bottom of the bowl or you will get an inaccurate reading. The bowl should be just above the simmering (but not boiling water) without touching it.
- Cook the sugar mixture, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 160°F. Remove the bowl from the heat, and place it in the stand mixer.
- Beat, with the whisk attachment for about 7 minutes or until the mixture is white, glossy and thick (and about tripled in size).
- Right now, this is your 7-minute frosting, and it can be used as is to frost your cooled cake or cupcakes. If you would like to make swiss meringue buttercream, continue with the next step.
- To make swiss meringue buttercream from your 7-minute frosting, once the side of the mixing bowl is cool to the touch on the outside of the bowl, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding the cubed, cool butter while the mixer is on medium speed.
- Continue to beat until all of the butter is added and the mixture is silky smooth and thick. If the mixture looks curdled, continue to beat for a while longer until the butter is smooth (the “curdles” are actually butter that is too cold). If the mixture is runny, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and beat again. Add the salt, and beat to combine.
- Frost the cake or cupcakes with the champagne frosting as desired, and serve.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Nicole – Hoping you’re still online replying! Wanted to make this tonight but with the cold/snow in MN I’m not keen on heading to the store. I do however have Carol Fenster’s Sorghum/Potato Starch/Tapioca Starch mix on hand, as well as Namaste Food’s perfect flour blend. I think Fenster’s would possibly work OK – what do you think?
Hi, Robyn,
I don’t know much about either of those blends, I’m afraid, but I do not recommend the blend that is made of sorghum flour. That isn’t a very light flour. If Namaste is similar to my basic, xanthan gum-free blend, I’d go with that, but since I’m not familiar with them, I can’t promise!
Hi Nicole, I went with the Namaste blend (white rice based, but it did have a little sorghum in it..) and it worked out very well! I think that if I used your blend it would have been more light, but they flew at the NYE party we brought them to and I was the only non-gluten eater. Picture proof too :)
How many layers are in the cake in the picture? can the recipe be doubled for more layers or do the egg whites not appreciate that. ie. should each layer be mixed separately? Looks delicious!
Hi, Erika,
The cake in the photo is actually a single recipe, but made in 5-inch round cake pans. You could either make a 9-inch round and slice it in half to frost in between once it’s cooled, or make two 5-inch cakes if you have 5-inch cake pans. I wouldn’t double the recipe as is, because of the egg white issue you mention. Just measure out the ingredients for two cakes, and prepare the batter for each one right after the other. You can definitely double the frosting, though.
Are you kidding? That cake (and cute cupcakes) looks amazing. And I think you win the award for coolest blogger ever for taking a reader’s request and running with it, especially for something as luxurious and fancy as this cake/cupcakes. Major love on this one.
Right, Mel. Like you never do that! ;)
So I guess I can’t use Better Batter flour because it has xanthan gum in it already. Is that right? Both the cake and the cupcakes look so delicious and pretty!
That’s right, Margaret! I tried using it, and the cake turned out pretty dense. Sorry!
Can you use sparkling cider instead of ginger ale or sparkling wine?
I was thinking the same thing Mare – I bet you could.
I haven’t tried that, Mare, and it would probably be fine, but honestly I’m not sure I’d love the taste. Worth a shot, though!
I just got some sparkling cider/cranberry this morning for the kids New years eve festivities – if I used that these would be awesome PINK! love that! good golly – now I might have to just make these today…
Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to make my own! I love the coconut on top- much better than the white chocolate Smith’s uses, (the only part of the cake I would try to pick off) so thank you for improving the recipe! The sparkles on the cupcakes are really pretty, too. I have been feeling sorry for myself since I went to a birthday party a couple of months ago, and everyone enjoyed their slice while I looked on enviously.
Oh, and I LOVE Swiss meringue buttercream.
Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to make my own! I love the coconut on top- much better than the white chocolate Smith’s uses, (the only part of the cake I would try to pick off) so thank you for improving the recipe! The sparkles on the cupcakes are really pretty, too. I have been feeling sorry for myself since I went to a birthday party a couple of months ago, and everyone enjoyed their slice while I looked on enviously.
Oh, and I LOVE Swiss meringue buttercream.
You’re very welcome, Michelle. Now you can make others jealous with your way-better champagne cake—with SMB champagne frosting no less. ;)
I am so excited to see this recipe!! Question, can I use my King Arthur’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour? My sisters and I are throwing a 25th anniversary party for our parents this February, and there are about 8 celiacs coming. Including me…and guess what? The cake that is being made for the “normal” guests is going to be a champagne cake! So now I get to make a similar version for my gluten free guests. Yes baby!! Thank you!
Does it have xanthan gum in it? if so I wouldn’t as Nicole was pretty clear about it above.
No, It doesn’t have xanthan gum in it.
Hi, Nicole,
I’m not a very big fan of King Arthur’s all purpose gluten free flour as it is very high in starch, but if you do decide to use it, I would recommend replacing the 18 grams of cornstarch in the recipe with more King Arthur Flour. You don’t want to add any more pure starch to that blend. I haven’t tested that flour in this cake, though, so I can’t promise anything! Maybe make a half recipe until you’re sure?
I agree – you’ve outdone yourself on this one – the cake and cupcakes look and sound mouthwatering!!! We however continue to eat Baby Jesus cake!!
Also – thank you Michelle for suggesting this recipe!!!
Thanks, Jennifer! Did you go with the Perfect Chocolate Birthday Cake with ganache glaze for your Baby Jesus cake?
Nicole – for some reason I made your better batter devils food cake from the flour trials (on the blog) – it caught my eye one late night surfing your site – like I do often. I made a 9 inch round and split it in 1/2. I filled it with nutella cloud frosting, then crumb coated it with vanilla buttercream and THEN topped it of with a layer of ganache glaze that drizzled down the sides. My Dad had seconds and I’ve had a piece almost every day since. It is to die for.
That sounds amazing!
Love that cake, Jennifer! Great choice – especially all that frosting and glaze!!
Sorry to butt in… But where does one find this perfect chocolate birthday cake you speak of?
It’s in my first cookbooks, Shruti. :)
You are welcome! People here go crazy for it- if you tell say you are serving champagne cake, strangers off the street will show up talking about how it is their favorite.
Perfectly YUM! These look amazing Nicole…beautiful, fluffy, lovely.
Can’t wait to try them.
Mary