Ingredients:
- 360g All-purpose flour
- 400g Granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 225g Unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
- 180ml Pink champagne or sparkling rosé
- 4 Large egg whites
- 60ml Neutral vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
- 2 drops Pink gel food coloring
- 450g Unsalted butter, softened
- 900g Powdered sugar, sifted
- 30g Freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 45ml Heavy cream
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 100g Fresh raspberries for garnish
- 1 tsp Edible gold leaf or glitter
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 175°C. Grease two 20cm round cake pans thoroughly. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the 360g flour, 400g sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in your mixer bowl for 30 seconds until fully aerated and blended.
- Incorporate the butter. Add the 225g of cubed butter to the dry mix. Beat on low speed until the mixture looks like fine, damp sand.
- Whisk the liquids. In a separate jug, whisk the 180ml champagne, egg whites, 60ml oil, vanilla, and pink coloring until just combined and slightly frothy.
- Emulsify the batter. Slowly pour half the liquid into the flour butter mix. Beat on medium for 1 minute until the batter looks pale and fluffy.
- Finish the mix. Add the remaining liquid in two stages, scraping the bowl down between each. Beat for another 30 seconds until completely silky and smooth.
- Bake the layers. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the edges pull away.
- Cool completely. Let them sit in the pans for 10 minutes before flipping onto a wire rack. They must be cold before frosting!
- Make the frosting. Beat the 450g butter and 900g powdered sugar with the strawberry powder. Add the cream and lemon juice until the texture is like soft clouds.
- Assemble and decorate. Stack your layers with a thick hit of frosting. Add the 100g raspberries and a touch of gold leaf until it looks like a gallery piece.