Soft, tender almond cake layers frosted with roasted almond buttercream, and topped with whole salted almonds. This cake seems simple, but it’s warm roasted almond flavor will have you begging for another slice after that first bite!

New Year, new cake!

As many of you know, I’m constantly planning out new cake flavors, new cake techniques, and new ideas for growth here on Baking with Blondie. So when it comes time in December to plan out my cakes for the next year, it’s always easy (and even frustrating – because there’s not enough time for all the cake I want to make!) to fill up the months ahead with what I want to share with all of you.

I loved getting feedback from all of you, too! It was so interesting and inspiring to hear from YOU on what you’d like to see from me in this space. I’ve mapped out some really fun things for everyone’s tastes, so hopefully this year you’ll follow along with me in this continued cake journey.

I’m trying to share a technique with the flavor cakes I make – that way you get a new cake flavor AND hopefully a new technique that will inspire you to create something new in the kitchen. I don’t want you to see the same cakes from me all year, year after year. Hopefully you can see my ideas evolve with each cake I make, as I hope yours do, too!

Almond on Almond

I know, I know. It was super hard for me to keep this cake all almond, because let’s face it – almond can be paired with SO MANY THINGS! I’ve done almond with so many different flavors in my Cookbook and on my website here. For this cake, though, I wanted almonds to be the start and let them shine by themselves. It really ended up creating something special that not only tasted exactly how I wanted it to, but looks really beautiful, too! Let’s dive into this lovely little lady, shall we?

First things first, I wanted almond cake layers. I knew this could be simply achieved by adding in almond extract to my classic white cake recipe. Quick and easy, and had just enough almond flavor without it being overpowering. I also prefer almond emulsion over extracts for this one, but whatever you find will be just fine. Almond extract can be super powerful, so you can’t go crazy with it like I tend to do with vanilla.

The buttercream is the star of the show with this cake. I used almond extract, but knew that wouldn’t be enough, so I added in my own batch of roasted almond butter.

To give the almond butter that beautifully warm roasted flavor, I roasted up whole almonds on the stovetop, let them cool, then added them to my trusty smoothie blender (you can always use a food processor, too), until a chunky butter formed. I didn’t turn it all the way into creamy butter because I adore the look of the little flecks on the buttercream. If you’re planning on using an intricate piping tip, you may need to make sure the almond butter has zero bits so that it doesn’t get stick and interrupt your piping process.

That’s it! This recipe is pretty foolproof, and certainly won it over with my neighbors this week when I shared the cake slices! I think this recipe would also be really fun to add different flavors to like honey, raspberry, and I have a peanut butter version in my cookbook, too.

The Wilton 127 D piping tip is everything on this cake! I shared the technique below for how I was able to achieve the side-swoop look on my cake.

As always, I hope you enjoy this cake! If you make it, I’d love to join in on the fun! Make sure to tag @bakingwithblondie or #bakingwithblondie on Instagram 🙂

Happy Baking!

xo, Mandy

Get the Recipe: Almond Cake with Roasted Almond Buttercream

Soft Almond Cake Layers frosted with Roasted Almond Buttercream
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Ingredients
 

Almond Cake

  • 2/3 Cup Sour Cream , Room Temperature
  • 3/4 Cup Buttermilk , Room Temperature
  • 4 Egg Whites , Room Temperature
  • 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
  • 1 box White Cake Mix , Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Off Brand, or anything similar will do – can be made gluten free with a gluten free cake mix, too.

Roasted Almond Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 Cup Lightly Salted Whole Almonds
  • 1 1/2 Cup (or three sticks) Unsalted Butter , Left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspooon Almond Extract
  • 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 6-7 Cups Powdered Sugar , sifted

Garnishes

  • Lightly Salted Whole Almonds

Instructions
 

For the Almond Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (convection bake), or 350 degrees (traditional bake). Prep three 6" cake rounds with a swipe of shortening and a dust of flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, hand whisk together all the ingredients except for the cake mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Sift in the cake mix and stir until just combined. Don't overmix!
  • Bake cake rounds for 25-27 minutes (a little less if you're doing traditional bake), remove from the oven, let cool in their cake pans for 2-3 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack to cool completely at room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until ready to frost.

For the Roasted Almond Buttercream

  • In a pan over medium heat, slowly roast the whole almonds for 4-5 minutes, or until they have been toasted (be careful not to burn them!). Remove from the heat and let cool.
  • Pulse the almonds in an individual smoothie blender or food processor until an chunky almond butter forms. Make sure you don't puree it too small, or you won't have the beautiful flecks in the buttercream.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add in the salt and extracts, and whip up again. Add in the almond butter you created, then the heavy cream and thoroughly combine. Slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar until it's all been incorporated. Add in a touch more heavy cream if the buttercream is too thick (about 1 Teaspoon at a time). Whip the buttercream on high for 3 minutes until it's light and fluffy. Hand stir with a wooden spoon to whip out any air bubbles if needed.

Assembly

  • On a cake turntable with a cardboard cake round, add on a touch of buttercream to act as glue, then place down the first cake layer. Add on an even layer of buttercream, then place on the second layer. Repeat with the final layer.
  • Crumb coat the cake and place it into the freezer for about 5 minutes to set. For the outside design, use a Wilton 217D piping tip and a piping bag. With the thicker part of the piping tip touching the cake, start on the bottom and slowly turn the turntable while pulling the piping tip up horizontally. Release the pressure as you reach the top edge of the cake. Repeat pattern around the cake.
  • Add almonds to the top for a garnish, and crumbled almonds, as well. Enjoy!