Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prep 2 - 9” cake pans with cooking spray if not using nonstick pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla and continue to beat.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the champagne to the butter/sugar, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Add about a third of the egg whites to the cake batter and fold them in, continue until all the egg whites have been added.

Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.

Remove and let the cake layers cool for 10 minutes in the cake pans before turning out on a cooling rack to completely cool before frosting the cake.

To make the strawberry frosting, crush the freeze dried strawberries until almost completely powder.

Add the heavy cream, strawberries, champagne and powdered sugar to a large bowl and beat until peaks form.

Cut each cake in half with a serrated knife.

Start by laying the bottom cake on a cake stand and add about ¾-1 c of frosting and spread it over the layer.

Stack the second layer and repeat with the frosting.

Continue until you have all 4 layers stacked.

Crumb coat your cake by spreading a thin layer of frosting over the sides of the cake and the top to trap crumbs.

Smooth it out, chill for 20–30 minutes to set, and then add the final layer of frosting.

Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Decorate with fresh strawberries if desired.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.