Cherry Almond Cake is a pretty, 3 layer cake that is perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and bridal showers! Two layers of fluffy almond cake are separated by a layer of pink Maraschino cherry cake and covered in whipped white chocolate buttercream.
3cupsunsalted buttercut in cubes, room temperature
9cupsconfectioner's sugar
1 ½teaspoonsalmond extract
¾cupheavy creamvery cold
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans. Cover bottoms with waxed paper and dust with flour.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
Beat in vanilla, almond extract, and vanilla bean scrapings.
Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Add egg whites and beat at medium speed for two minutes.
Add chopped Maraschino cherries to ⅓ of the batter.
Divide the almond cake batter equally between 2 greased and wax paper lined 9-inch round pans.
Add the Maraschino cherry batter to the third pan.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake for 25 minutes more, or until the cake tests done.
Cool cake layers in pans 10 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on racks.
Buttercream
Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds.
Let cool to room temperature.
Beat the butter until fluffy.
Add the confectioner's sugar.
Beat on high until well mixed.
Add the almond extract and heavy cream
With mixer on high spoon the melted white chocolate into the buttercream, beating until it is light and airy.
Use to fill and frost the cherry almond cake.
Notes
Expert Tip: Creaming the butter and sugar is very important.It can take up to 5 minutes to get that light and fluffy texture you're looking for. This is what will help your cake be airy and tender.
This has a delicate almond flavor. If you'd like a more intense flavor add an extra ¼ to ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
It is important that you use cake flour in this recipe. It keeps it light and fluffy. Read more about flour here.
The white chocolate is very finicky. Be sure to stir it every free seconds while melting. If it gets even a drop of water in it it will set up and you'll have to start over.
Make sure all ingredients are room temperature unless otherwise instructed.