Almond Cake with Chocolate and Amaretto Buttercream
Ingredients
- CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 7-oz Odense Almond Paste, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
- nan
- SARAH'S AMARETTO BUTTERCREAM
- 4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons Amaretto
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (for cake assembly)
This stunning, 4 layer cake was developed for us by Sarah Kieffer of The Vanilla Bean Blog. She loved how the Odense Almond Paste made the cake rich and full of almond flavor.
Time
30 minutes to assemble cake
45-47 minutes to bake
15 minutes to melt chocolate and apply
15 minutes to make frosting
45-47 minutes to bake
15 minutes to melt chocolate and apply
15 minutes to make frosting
Yield
Serves: 16
Directions
- FOR CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour two 8 X 2 inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
- Add Almond Paste and sugar to food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the texture of sand.
- Whisk eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk in medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add almond paste mixture, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Mix on low until combined.
- With the mixer running on low, add the butter one piece at a time, beating until mixture resembles coarse sand. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add half of wet ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Return to low speed; add remaining wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for 20-30 seconds (the batter may still look a little lumpy). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and use a spatula to mix the batter a few more times.
- Evenly divide batter into the prepared pans and smooth tops. Rap pans 2 or 3 times on the counter to help get rid of any bubbles. Bake 45-47 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely before frosting.
- FOR SARAH'S AMARETTO BUTTERCREAM: In the bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium until creamy. Scrape down the sides and add vanilla, and salt. Mix on low until combined and then beat on medium for 1 minute.
- Turn speed to low and slowly add the confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, mixing until combined. Stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as necessary. Add Amaretto and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 6-8 minutes until light and fluffy.
- TO ASSEMBLE: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut each layer of the cake in half horizontally, to make a total of four layers. Place cake layers cut sides down on prepared sheets.
- Melt chocolate. Top three of the layers with a thin coating of chocolate, spreading it evenly along the whole surface of each layer. Let the chocolate set before frosting the cake.
- Put one cake layer, chocolate side up, on a turntable or serving plate and top with 3/4 cup of buttercream. Repeat with two more chocolate-covered layers and then top with the remaining, chocolate-free layer. Frost cake. Double frosting if fancy decorating is your desire.