Description
Creamy almond cream cake promises a luxurious dessert experience that whispers European elegance. Classic French pastry techniques blend silky textures and delicate almond notes, inviting you to savor each sublime bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350F (175C). Lavishly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and flour to prevent sticking.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Harmonize flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing vessel, whisking until uniformly blended. Reserve this powdery mixture to the side.
- Butter-Sugar Transformation: In a spacious mixing bowl, vigorously cream butter and sugar until the mixture becomes airy, pale, and dramatically voluminous, approximately 2-3 minutes of continuous blending.
- Liquid Integration: Gently incorporate eggs individually, ensuring complete absorption after each addition. Introduce vanilla and almond extracts, stirring to create a unified, fragrant base.
- Batter Composition: Gradually fold flour mixture into wet ingredients in three strategic intervals, interspersing with milk. Blend delicately to maintain batter’s ethereal texture, avoiding over-mixing.
- Baking Performance: Distribute batter evenly between prepared cake pans, ensuring balanced volume. Position in preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a slender testing probe emerges pristine when inserted into cake’s center.
- Cooling Protocol: Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, enabling structured cooling. Carefully transfer to wire cooling rack, permitting complete temperature reduction before further manipulation.
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cake tender and moist. Stir ingredients just until they combine to maintain a soft, delicate texture.
- Toast almond slivers or ground almonds before adding to the batter for a deeper, richer nutty taste that elevates the cake’s overall flavor profile.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter to ensure smooth incorporation and consistent cake texture. Cold ingredients can lead to uneven mixing and dense cake layers.
- Test cake doneness with a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the center. When it comes out clean with minimal crumbs, the cake is perfectly baked and won’t be dry or undercooked.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg