Almond Layer Cake With White Chocolate Frosting Food

BEST EVER ALMOND CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (with high sides) or three 8-inch round cake pans (with high sides), lining the bottoms with parchment paper rounds for easy release.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer) whip the butter on medium high speed until very smooth. Add the sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy and creamy. The sugar will start to dissolve into the butter a little bit during this creaming process, so you should be able to feel the grains of sugar getting smaller.
• Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly at this stage to make sure everything is mixed well.
• Mix in the oil and almond extract on low speed.
• Measure the buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup and and set aside.
• Measure and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a separate bowl and combine with a wire whisk.
• Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternatively while the mixer is running on low speed. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, half the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the other half of the milk, and the remaining dry ingredients.
• Turn the speed of the mixer to medium-low and mix until the batter is smooth (about one minute).
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 29-34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the pans for about 5-7 minutes and then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
• Once the cakes are cool, store them wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge until ready to frost. They should be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before frosting.
• While the cakes cool, heat the milk in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add the flour slowly, whisking constantly to combine.
• Continue to cook this mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and no lumps remain.
• Spread out the thickened milk and flour mixture onto a dinner plate to cool completely.
• When the mixture is cool, press it through a sieve or strainer to remove any tiny lumps that may remain.
• Add it to a large bowl with a hand mixer, or to the bowl of your stand mixer, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth.
• Add the butter and mix on medium-high speed until the mixture is very smooth.
• Add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, along with the salt and the almond extract.
• Continue to mix on medium-high until the frosting is extra smooth and creamy.
• Level the top of the cakes with a serrated bread knife or a cake leveler (if you have one). Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand and place a dollop of frosting on top.
• Spread out the frosting to the edges of the cake, place the next layer on top and then frost the top and sides of the cake until everything is smooth.
• Use Life Love and Sugar's tutorial on how to get straight edges when frosting layer cakes with buttercream (find the tutorial HERE), or simply frost it in a rustic pattern as you wish.
• Arrange the fruit pieces, cookies, and almonds on top as you wish.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

COCONUT-ALMOND LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with cake flour, tapping out the excess; set aside.
• Whisk the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a separate large bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cakes and gently turn out onto the rack; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth; let cool slightly. Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, rum and vanilla in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
• Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with the second cake layer, then frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the coconut.

WHITE ALMOND SOUR CREAM WEDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.
• Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured cake pans, filling each pan a little over half full.
• Lightly tap cake pans on counter to bring air bubbles to top.
• Bake in preheated 325° F oven until cake tests done.
• Baking time varies according to the size and depth of pans being used.
• I used Wilton's Bake Even Strips on my cake pans to ensure a level-topped cake which required absolutely no trimming-- I highly recommend these, or good quality professional baking pans.
• In 2" deep pans, this recipe makes:.
• One 14" round and one 6" round.
• or One 16" round.
• or One 12" round and one 10" round.
• or One 12 X 18" sheet cake.
• or One 12" round and one 8" round and one 6" round.
• or Two 9" squares.
• or 5 dozen cupcakes.
• Half the recipe makes:.
• Two 7" rounds.
• or Two 6" rounds and 6 cupcakes.
• For chocolate cake: use chocolate mixes and substitute 6 whole eggs for the egg whites.
• For liqueur flavors: substitute alcohol (such as champagne or Kahlua) for about 1 cup of the water in the recipe.
• For berry flavors: use frozen berries, thaw reserving the juice. Substitute the berry juice for part of the water in the recipe, and stir the berries in at the end.
• For lemon cake: substitute lemon juice for about 1 cup of the water in the recipe, use 6 whole eggs instead of the whites, stir in 1 Tblsp lemon zest, and use 1 tsp of a good lemon extract in place of the almond.
• For white chocolate: melt 8oz white baking chocolate & cool slightly. use 6 whole eggs in the recipe instead of the whites, temper the chocolate by stirring in a small amount of the batter, then add the white chocolate to the entire batter and stir well. Doesn't bake up quite as high as the original, so add a pinch more batter to the pans.