This light and spongey champagne cake roll is flavored with reduced champagne and vanilla. Fill with champagne whipped cream to make an extra sparkly and celebratory New Year’s Eve dessert!
Let’s toast to the holiday season and a very happy new year ahead. I’m hoping you saved room for cake. And not just any cake… CHAMPAGNE CAKE ROLL. Cheers!
Champagne Cake Roll
There are two parts to today’s champagne cake roll.
- Champagne Sponge Cake
- Champagne Whipped Cream
Before we even talk about how to make the sponge cake or whipped cream, we need to discuss the champagne. Let’s take something we learned from Strawberry Cake and reduce a flavor down. Reducing a flavor down packs as much flavor as possible into the cake without altering the cake’s texture. And today’s flavor is champagne! Reduce 1 cup of your favorite champagne down to 4 Tablespoons, which will take around 20 minutes. The reduced champagne will be dark with a very concentrated flavor. Delish.
Let’s Make Sponge Cake
Have you ever made a yule log cake for Christmas? Today’s cake is a sponge cake, just like a traditional yule log cake. (It’s much easier too– hardly any decoration!)
The entire cake is light and airy, floating on your tastebuds just like a glass of bubbly. Have you ever made sponge cake before? What’s interesting about sponge cake is that it’s made without butter or oil. All the magic happens with the eggs. We’ll whip egg whites and a little sugar into stiff peaks, pictured below, then fold them into the cake batter.
We’ll also use egg yolks, sifted cake flour (lightest texture ever!), baking powder for added lift, vanilla extract, and the reduced champagne. Takes an extra minute to whip the eggs, but the texture is unbelievable.
Tip: You get more volume with room temperature eggs than cold eggs. Before beginning, set the eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes to warm them up.
Bake the cake roll in a 10×15 inch pan. A larger pan, such as a 12×17 inch pan, is doable but it yields a thinner and more fragile cake. 10×15 inch jelly roll pan is best.
How to Shape a Cake Roll
Shaping a cake roll is easier than it looks. There are two tricks:
- The 1st trick is to roll the cake up, without filling, while it’s still warm. Why? If the cake cools in the rolled shape, it will make rolling the cake with the filling inside EASIER.
- The 2nd trick is to roll the cake up with a clean kitchen towel or piece of parchment paper. Why? The warm cake will be sticky and stick to itself otherwise. Dust the towel or parchment paper with confectioners’ sugar for a little extra sweetness… and just in case there is any chance of sticking!
These two tricks help guarantee no rips, no cracks, and no sticking.
Champagne Whipped Cream
Believe it or not, the champagne whipped cream filling is even lighter and fluffier than the sponge cake! It’s made from heavy cream/heavy whipping cream, a little sugar, reduced champagne, a touch of vanilla. We use 2 Tablespoons of reduced champagne in the cake, brush the cake with 1 Tablespoon, then use 1 Tablespoon in the whipped cream. Beat it all together until fluffy.
What does it taste like? It actually tastes a little citrus-y! Bright and refreshing with the splashy taste of champagne. It has a really unique and refreshing flavor and I can see it tasting unbelievable on everything from cheesecake and choux pastry cream puffs to lemon berry trifle and strawberry shortcake. Oooooh and pavlova, too!
Totally optional, but I sprinkled cocoa powder on the inside of the cake roll before adding the champagne whipped cream. Just a little something extra if you’re feelin’ it.
Make sure the cake chills in the refrigerator for a few minutes before slicing because it’s much easier to cut that way!
Such a special dessert for any occasion requiring a little bubbly!
Need more New Year’s inspiration?
Print
Champagne Cake Roll
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This light and spongey champagne cake roll is flavored with reduced champagne and vanilla. Fill with champagne whipped cream to make an extra sparkly and celebratory New Year’s Eve dessert. Both the cake and whipped cream can be made ahead of time– see make ahead instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) champagne*
- 1 cup (105g) sifted cake flour* (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature and separated
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for topping
- optional: 1 Tablespoon unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
Champagne Whipped Cream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (40g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon reduced champagne (from step 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Reduce the champagne: In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer the champagne, whisking occasionally, until it reduces down to 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup). This usually takes around 20 minutes, but the time varies. Place reduced champagne in the refrigerator until completely cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 10×15 inch baking pan with nonstick spray or butter, then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases in step 7. Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll.
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar together on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl you just had the egg whites in (no need to clean it!), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, 2 Tablespoons reduced champagne, and vanilla extract. Beat together on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until light in color.
- Add half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Beat on low speed for 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg whites and beat on low for 10 seconds. Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low until the batter is completely combined. Do not overmix.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cake springs back when poked with your finger.
- Roll the cake: As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin kitchen towel flat on the counter. Sprinkle with 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked. Starting with the narrow end, begin rolling the cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Place in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 2 hours.
- Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up as you prepare the whipped cream.
- Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, 1 Tablespoon reduced champagne, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gently and slowly unroll the cake. Brush with remaining reduced champagne. Dust with cocoa powder, if desired. Spread whipped cream evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the cake. Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
- Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Reduce the champagne up to 3 days in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. You can prepare the cake through step 7 and chill the rolled up cake in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before continuing with step 8. Prepared cake roll, with whipped cream, freezes well for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving. Prepare whipped cream up to 1 day in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowls | 2-cup Glass Measuring Cup | Jelly Roll Pan
- Champagne: Use your favorite champagne. If you enjoy drinking it, you’ll enjoy it in this cake!
- Cake Flour: Sift the cake flour before measuring. I strongly recommend using cake flour, not all-purpose flour. In a pinch, you can use this homemade cake flour substitute.
Keywords: champagne, new years eve
I am not a fan of sponge cake. I don’t like the texture. However when you are rolling up a sheet cake, you want that spongy texture. This recipe turned out perfectly! I added fresh raspberries to the whipped cream filling by simply scattering them on top of the filling before rolling it up. It got rave reviews from my spouse! A show stopping but light dessert that is perfect after a pork & sauerkraut New Year’s meal!
★★★★★
ps: it is better the next day..and the next and the next…
★★★★★
Made the cake for a New Year’s Eve party tonight. Very easy to follow and so easy to put together. I decorated it with extra whipped cream and winter sprinkles.
★★★★★
I’m sure for more experienced bakers this is a piece of cake (so to speak) and quite delicious (I can attest the dough is delicious) but I’ve gotten thrown off at the egg white/egg yolk step a few times now. I’m sure it’s me doing something wrong but I just don’t know what.
For the life of me, I can’t get the egg whites to form stiff peaks and it turns out quite runny no matter how much I mix, which I try not to do because then the cake could come out dry, no?
I’ve tried adding more sugar to get some stiffness, but alas, doesn’t work.
One time I decided to go ahead and see what happened anyway with too-runny batter and too my surprise, when I mixed in the dry ingredients, it became too doughy and doesn’t look the pictures with a bit of liquid-ness and bubbles. Far as I can tell I’ve always measured everything correctly. I’m not a bad baker for my skill level, but this dough evades me.
Any input, Sally?
Happy New Year!
Jennifer
★★★★★
Hi Jennifer, how long are you letting the egg whites mix? They should take about 5 minutes to get to stiff peaks at a high speed. We hope you enjoyed the cake once it all came together!
Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before you whip them. This is the opposite of whipped cream where everything, including the bowl and beater, should be chilled. Room temperature egg whites makes a difference.
Hi Sally! Is there a video to this recipe? Thank you!
Have made this cake and love it. Was wondering if it could be adapted to a pink champagne cake popular in the 1960s but keeping as a roll? Thoughts?
Hi Susan! You can definitely use a pink champagne in this recipe – feel free to add a little pink food coloring as well for some color. Would love to hear how it goes!
What type of salt? Kosher or table?
Can’t wait to make this for our girl’s getaway!
Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, unless otherwise noted, we use regular fine table salt in our recipes. Hope this one is a hit for your girl’s getaway!
That’s what I thought! Thanks so much for your very quick reply.
This turned out so good! I kept adding more pink champagne (some reduced and some not) to the whipped cream so that it tasted more champagne-like. It tasted so good, but was a little too slack (totally my fault). Great recipe 🙂
★★★★★
What champagne did you use? I’ve never bought champagne. Could you recommend one?
Wondering, if any fruit juice will work in place of champagne
What are your thoughts on adding the reduced champagne to your ‘Best Vanilla Cake’ recipe?
Hi Frances, I haven’t tested it so I can’t be sure. You can certainly try replacing some of the milk in the vanilla cake with the reduced champagne though. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi Sally! Do you know what changes (if any!) I would need to make to make this into a layer cake? Champagne cake is my MIL’s favorite, I’d love to make this for their anniversary coming up.
Thank you for your lovely recipes!!
Hi Katie, I have not tried making this as a layer cake. Keep in mind that a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan holds 10 cups of batter, and you can use my Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions guide to help you determine how much batter you will need for alternate sizes.
Do you have any recommendations if I wanted to make this sponge cake as a 3 layer cake (likely 8-in round) instead of a roll? Should I double the recipe?
Hi Meredith, I have not tried making this as a layer cake. Keep in mind that a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan holds 10 cups of batter, and you can use my Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions guide to help you determine how much batter you will need for alternate sizes.
I just made this for a holiday dinner party and it was a hit! Everyone loved how light and airy it turned out. I love that it’s not too sweet and packs some nice flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Sounds fabulous. I have a lot of leftover white wine, but no sparkling wine or champagne. Would white wine work?
Hi Mary, I strongly recommend sparkling wine.
I had some leftover champagne from a couple weeks ago so I remembered this recipe and reduced it down. Made the cake roll for five of us and we nearly polished it off in one sitting. Instead of using whipped cream, opted for lite whipped topping to trim calories, but it was still delicious. Would definitely make this again as cake rolls are so much fun and underappreciated.
★★★★
Hi Sally! I’m wondering if this would turn out with sparkling white grape juice instead of champagne? I’ve got an extra bottle sitting in my fridge from New Years and don’t really know what to do with it so I thought this might work… What are your thoughts?
Yes, definitely! Should work just fine.
Sally,
You say “your favorite Champagne” but I’m curious about sugar levels. Would you recommend something on the Brut end or sweeter? Does it really matter?
Hi John, It really doesn’t matter! Whichever you like the taste of best!
Hi Sally,
I love your recipes. I tried making this one today and it looks great, whipped cream is delicious but the sponge ended up really dry. Any idea on where I might have went wrong? Do you think I may have overmixed?
Hi Maggie! Over-mixing the egg whites, egg yolks, or even the entire batter may be the culprit. Did you make any ingredient substitutions?
I didn’t substitute any ingredients. I’m pretty sure I over mixed – I think I did stiff peaks on the egg whites correctly (my first time trying) but any tips for knowing when the batter or egg yolks are done? I’m hoping to try your red velvet roll next and am determined to make it better!
Your Mimosa cupcakes are wonderful so I am sure this will be too!!
I hope you will love this just as much as the mimosa cupcakes 🙂 Happy baking Amy!
Does the alcohol bake out or these an adult-only dessert? Thanks!
Hi Amy! It mostly cooks out when reducing it down, but that’s a personal judgement call if you want to serve to kids. You can always use non-alcoholic sparkling cider too!
You can substitute champagne extract But reduce to 1/4 -1/2 tsp rec taste test for sure adjust bery slowly!!!
This came from a friend who does pumpkin rolls for thanksgiving: to cut slices use a SERRATED knife. Kind used to cut bread, makes for easier slicing.
Now where did we put the champagne, hmmm.
Such a great tip!
Can a non-alcohol sparkling wine or orange juice be used?
Hi Christy! A non-alcoholic sparkling wine or cider would work great.
Hi Lauren! I actually tested it that way and LOVED the flavor. I definitely suggest using some of the champagne to brush on the cake before adding the whipped cream.