Basic Almond Cake 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.

BASIC ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• Line two 9" cake pans with parchment paper.
• Cream together almond paste, butter and sugar.
• Add eggs slowly, with mixer speed medium-low.
• Add Grand Marnier (batter will appear broken).
• Combine flour and baking powder and a pinch of salt-- and add to mixer and stir until just combined.
• Add extract.
• Pour into cake pans and bake until golden brown and just set (it will drop and firm up), about 35 minutes.
• Let cool on a cake rack in the pan. Run a knife around the edge and remove when completely cooled.

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides and bottoms of 2 8-inch cake or springform pans; line sides and bottoms with parchment paper. Butter paper. Place pans in freezer.
• Sift flour and salt into a small bowl. Set aside. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add almond paste, a little at a time at medium speed, and beat 8 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, and almond extract. Mix sour cream and baking soda and add to butter mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, just until blended.
• Divide batter between prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake about 40 minutes to an hour, until tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed and cakes shrink from sides of the pans. Cool in pans on wire rack. Remove sides of pans and remove paper. When ready to serve, sift confectioners' sugar on top and slice like pie.

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Finely grind the almonds in a food processor.
• With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a smooth pale cream. Beat in the zests and almond extract. Add the ground almonds and mix very well.
• With clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the egg and almond mixture (the mixture is thick, so that you will need to turn it over quite a bit into the egg whites).
• Grease an 11-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, with butter and dust it with flour. Pour in the cake batter, and bake into a preheated 350°F for 40 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch. Let cool before turning out.
• Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. Or, if you like, cut a St. James cross out of paper. Place it in the middle of the cake, and dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, then remove the paper.