ALMOND CREAM CAKEfeatured

You know that feeling when you were a kid and you walked into your grandma’s house and you could smell the fresh cake she just pulled out of the oven? And you knew she baked it just for you? Nope? Well. Me neither.  Not my Grandma. My Grandma lived in a highrise apartment in Vancouver, BC and would take me to get greasy Chinese take out and to cornrow my hair. Which kind of makes her win for the coolest Grandma ever.

But still, this is THAT kind of cake. The kind of cake you would try to sneak a piece of from your grandma’s kitchen when all the adults were in the other room watching Sally Jesse Raphael. It feels like it was made with love, like a grandma kind of love. Which is the best kind; especially when you are eating greasy Chinese food and playing chip rummy.

This cake is also like training wheels for those of you nervous about making a cake from scratch. It’s practically impossible to mess up. I swear.  And if making a 3 tier cake is too daunting, this is just as rad in a 9×13 pan, just use about 2/3 of the batter instead of all of it. Fill the pan 2/3 of the way full, or if you are good with math, cut the recipe in thirds. Just add the almond cream, whipped cream and berries to each individual piece as you serve it, more like a shortcake.

Recipe: Almond Cream Cake  |  Soundtrack: Aretha Franklin

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

• 3 Cups Flour
• 3/4 Tsp Salt
• 3 Tsp Baking Powder
• 2 1/4 Cups Sugar
• 3 3/4 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream (liquid form, don’t whip it up)
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract

Almond Filling:

• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
• 1 Box Vanilla Instant Pudding
• 2-3 Tsp Almond Extract
• Whipped Cream Frosting:
• 3 Cups Whipped Cream
• 2 Tsp Real Vanilla
• 1/4 -1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
• Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries… Any combo of these is great. Enough to put in the layers and mound on top.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°

Prep your cake pans before you begin making the cake. You will need 3 9-inch round cake pans. Grease each of them. Using wax paper and a pen, trace around the bottom of the round cake pan. Cut out the circle. Place the wax paper circle in the bottom of the pan. Grease the pan again. Add flour and coat the pan. Knock out the excess flour. Do this to all 3 pans. This will ensure that the cake will come out of the pan easily after it cools. If you are making this in a 9 x 13 pan instead, just grease the pan, no need for the wax paper slick trick.

Using a mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, slowly mix the dry ingredients together. Add in the whipped cream, eggs and almond. Mix until just combined. Pour batter evenly into the 3 pans. Bang the pans gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. It doesn’t get any easier, right?

Bake the first two pans for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Repeat this step with the third cake pan. Cool for 15-20 minutes. Turn cakes over on the cooling rack and lightly tap the bottom of the pan to release the cake. If you are using a 9 x 13 pan, the cooking time is the same.

While the cakes are baking, make the almond cream filling. Make the vanilla pudding according to the directions, but use half the milk. Whip the cream adding in the powdered sugar, until it stiff peaks form. Once the pudding is set up, you will fold in 2 1/2 Tbsp of the pudding into the whipped cream. Add in the almond flavoring. Add more or less depending on intense you like the almond flavor. I tend to like things very almond-y.

Place one cake layer onto a cake plate. Scoop 3/4 cup of the filling onto the cake. Spread to the edges. Use a little more if needed. Add a layer of berries. Place the next layer of cake on top. Put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to help set the first layer. Once a chilled, repeat the same step. Place the final cake layer on top and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the whipped cream for frosting the cake.

Pour the whipped cream into a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or a bowl large enough to comfortably use a hand mixer. Whip on medium to high speed. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until the cream is stiff. A good way to test this is when you lift the beater out of the cream, the cream should stand up and hold it’s shape.

Take the cake out of the refrigerator and do a very light coating of the whipped cream. This is called a crumb coat. Try to make it as even as possible. Place the cake back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Take the cake out of the fridge to finish frosting. Start at the top and then work your way around the cake rotating the cake in the same direction to keep it smooth. Whipped cream is very forgiving so if this is your first time making a 3 layer cake, this is a good one to try. Once it’s frosted, pile the fresh berries on top. If you have sanding sugar, dust the tops of the berries with this, if not, it’s fine without it!

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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