Almond Layer Cake with Almond Buttercream
The perfect almond layer cake, filled with almond buttercream. Perfect as part of a wedding cake, or on its own for a birthday or christening cake.
Ingredients
For the almond cake
- 5 units Large eggs
- 3 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Almond extract
- 100 ml (2/5 cup) milk
- 360 ml (1½ cups) sour cream
- 425 g (3½ cups) plain or all-purpose flour
- 25 g (2½ tablespoons) cornflour or cornstarch
- 3½ Teaspoon Baking powder
- 450 g (2¼ cups) caster sugar (US granulated sugar)
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 250 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the almond buttercream
- 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, very soft
- 500 g (4 cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2-4 tbsp Milk or cream
- 2 Teaspoons Almond extract
- ½ Teaspoons Vanilla extract
Instructions
For the almond cake
- Heat the oven to 180°C (355°F) or 160°C if using a fan setting. Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by greasing them and lining the bottoms with parchment paper. Set the pans aside.
- In a small bowl or a jug, mix together the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, milk, and sour cream. Whisk the ingredients together using a fork until they are well blended. It may appear uneven or a bit lumpy, but don’t worry—that’s normal. Put the mixture aside to use later.
- In your stand mixer bowl, sift in the flour, cornflour, and baking powder. Pour in the sugar and salt, and whisk all the ingredients together. Set the mixer to a low-medium speed, gradually adding the butter cubes, one at a time. Continue mixing until the butter fully combines with the flour, resulting in a breadcrumb-like texture. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Set your stand mixer to a low speed and gradually pour in half of the sour cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about a minute, or until the mixture becomes smooth. Take a moment to scrape the sides of the bowl. Return the mixer to low speed and add the rest of the sour cream mixture, beating for around 30 seconds or until fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake tins, filling each with one-third of the mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins placed on a wire rack. Once they are cool enough to handle, take them out of the tins and let them cool completely on the wire rack.
For the almond buttercream
- Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and use an electric whisk to beat it until it becomes light and fluffy, which should take at least three minutes. Gradually add the icing sugar in three separate portions, mixing well after each addition. If the buttercream feels too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Finally, mix in the almond and vanilla extracts and beat again until everything is well incorporated.
- Level the tops of the three cakes to ensure they are flat and even. Stack the cakes on an 8-inch cake board, using the buttercream to sandwich them together. Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake as a crumb coat, then place it in the fridge to chill for about an hour.
- Once the crumb coat has firmed up, evenly spread the rest of the buttercream over the cake. Use a textured icing scraper or a spatula to create a ridged design on the sides. Using a turntable will make this step much simpler, so take advantage of one if it's available. Finish by decorating the cake however you like.
Video
Notes
The cake will stay fresh for 3–4 days if stored in an airtight container in a cool place. Do not store it in the fridge, as this will make your buttercream sweat.
The individual cakes can be baked in advance and then frozen. Wrap them individually in clingfilm or plastic wrap, and pop them in the freezer. To defrost, leave them unwrapped at room temperature for 4–6 hours, or overnight.