Sweet Almond Cake with Layered Almond Buttercream
You ever go back for a second slice of cake and end up with a third? Because same. That’s the line I used for my current pregnancy announcement, as we patiently wait for baby number 3’s arrival. I just entered the third trimester, and I’m feeling all the baby kicks, while all the pregnancy cravings kick in. And of course, as the baby develops, so do the (cake) recipes. This week’s craving(s): (decaf) coffee + sweet almond cake.
This is a recipe I’ve been developing over the last few weeks and it’s actually based off of my Classic Vanilla Cake recipe with the addition of almond extract and of course, sliced almonds. This is something my mom would often do — using previous recipes as templates for the foundation of a new recipe and just tweaking the ingredients. I’ll be honest though, it usually takes me at least two or three baking sessions to “perfect” a recipe, but this one carried all of the elements I was looking for on the first try. So, I figured I would celebrate furthermore by sharing it with you all on here!
Ingredients:
For the cake:
For the buttercream:
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°
Melt butter in sauce pan over medium-low heat. Pour into mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. If desired, set sauce pan aside to use for toasting almonds later.
Whisk in (cane) sugar, followed by sifted powdered sugar. Cream all together until light and fluffy.
Whisk in eggs on low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, using your electric mixer (or hand whisk).
Measure cream and almond milk into a cup or small bowl, then add lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes (optional). Don’t worry, the lemon juice won’t make your cake taste “lemony”. This small amount is just used to mimic buttermilk for a more tender cake. If you don’t have lemon juice, vinegar will work, or you can just skip this step. As for the cream and almond milk, they are basically interchangeable as well. Feel free to use all cream or all almond milk, OR substitute one or both for milk of choice (or buttermilk). I personally chose to use a mix of cream and almond milk for more balance and flavour, but as long as you have a 1/4 cup of some sort of milk, you’ll be fine.
Measure out vanilla and almond extracts. Add all into liquid ingredients, then mix on low speed (or by hand) for 30 seconds.
In a separate bowl, sift flours, then stir in baking powder and salt. For a lighter, fluffier texture, I recommend using cake flour, however all purpose flour will work — the texture will just be slightly more dense.
Make a small well in the center of dry ingredients, then pour in liquid ingredients. Start by folding with a spatula, then mix on low speed (or by hand) until thoroughly combined.
Lightly grease two medium cake pans and pour equal amounts of batter in each. Bake for 30 minutes (or until knife comes out clean).
Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 mins, then transfer to cooling rack until cake reaches room temp.
Place cake in a tin or on a plate, then cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour before frosting. If you’re not adding frosting until the next day (or the day after), you can leave it in the fridge until you do. You can also freeze the cake for up to 2 months before frosting if you’re wanting to prep way ahead of time. Once done, this cake can stay in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for 2 months.
While cake is in the fridge, prepare buttercream by whisking softened butter and salt together on low speed of electric mixer (or by hand) until well combined. If you don’t have unsalted butter, you can use salted, then just wait until the end to add in any additional salt. I prefer to use unsalted butter, because it tends to provide a more fresh and sweet taste. It also allows for more control over the salt added. However, either will work.
Sift in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, up to 2 1/2 cups and whisk on low speed (or by hand) until it resembles a thick “batter”.
Slowly pour in cream and almond milk (or milk of choice) until desired consistency.
Add in vanilla and almond extracts and continue mixing on medium-low speed (or by hand) until light and fluffy.
You may also sift in more powdered sugar, as needed (if needed), starting with 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Once cake has cooled, cut and shape (optional). I prefer to do this, because it makes for a “cleaner” looking cake, but it’s not necessary.
Stack and layer your cake with buttercream and smooth out with a cake knife. To help the cake stay in place, I recommend smoothing a dollop of buttercream onto your serving plate / board prior to setting your cake down.
Decorate your cake with sliced almonds. I just added some to the sides of my cake and left the top exposed, but you can (obviously) do whatever you want. Additionally, you may toast your almonds on the stove top prior to decorating, using your buttered sauce pan from earlier.
Slice and serve with coffee (or tea) of choice (optional). I paired mine with a decaf almond latte, compliments of Nespresso and some left over almond milk by Califia Farms (photographed below). Highly recommend!
More visual details on the latest @haveyour.c.a.k.e
Xoxo