White Almond Wedding Cake Recipe

I adapted my White Almond Cake Recipe from a vintage bakery note and I’m sharing the single surprising pantry swap that keeps the method simple and reliably successful.

I still get a little giddy thinking about my White Almond Cake Recipe that started out as a simple snack cake and turned into something almost saintly. It’s an irresistible heavenly white snack cake, silky and faintly nutty thanks to a splash of almond extract and the bright lift of egg whites.

I love that it reads elegant enough for Almond Wedding Cakes yet easy enough for an afternoon treat. I won’t tell you how I got that perfect crumb here, only that every bite surprises you with nostalgia and a tiny sparkle.

If you like slightly fancy but not fussy cakes, you’re gonna want this.

Ingredients

• Cake flour: fine texture, lower protein so cake is tender, less chewy for delicate slices.
• Egg whites: mostly protein, add lift and structure, light color, lower fat and foam easily.
• Unsalted butter: rich mouthfeel, adds fat and flavor, helps crumb and browning not salty.
• Almond extract: strong fragrant almond note, tiny amounts go a long way, great with vanilla.
• Sour cream: adds moisture, slight tang, contributes tenderness and richer crumb helps with shelf life.
• Confectioners sugar: super fine sugar for smooth frosting, mostly simple carbs creates stable stiff peaks.
• Sliced almonds: crunchy garnish, provide healthy fats protein and nutty flavor adds texture contrast.

Ingredient Quantities

• Cake
  • 2 3/4 cups (330 g) cake flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened (about 2 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil like canola or vegetable
  • 8 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon almond paste softened and crumbled optional

• Almond buttercream frosting
  • 1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter softened
  • 6 cups (720 g) confectioners sugar sifted
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract to taste
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk to thin
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
• Garnish
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
  • Optional small handful of white nonpareils or pearl sugar for sparkle

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; spread the sliced almonds on a small baking sheet and toast 5 to 8 minutes until golden, watch them, they burn fast. Let almonds cool.

2. Whisk together 2 3/4 cups cake flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a bowl, set aside. Spoon and level the flour when measuring so you dont end up with a dry cake.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream 1 cup (226 g) softened unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup neutral oil and beat just to combine. If using the 1 tablespoon almond paste, add it now and beat until mostly dissolved.

4. Add the 8 large egg whites one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated but dont overbeat. Stir in 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract.

5. In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt) until smooth. With mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix only until combined, scrape the bowl, dont overmix.

6. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smooth tops, and bake 25 to 30 minutes for 9 inch pans (a little longer for deeper pans) until a toothpick comes out clean and cake springs back gently. Cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. For the almond buttercream, beat 1 1/2 cups (340 g) softened unsalted butter on medium until pale and fluffy. Gradually add 6 cups sifted confectioners sugar, beating low to start so you dont get a sugar cloud, then up the speed until smooth.

8. Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract to taste, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk to reach a spreadable consistency, taste and adjust sweetness or almond flavor.

9. Level cake layers if needed, place one layer on your board, spread an even layer of buttercream, stack second layer and apply a thin crumb coat all over. Chill 20 to 30 minutes to set, then finish with a smooth final coat of buttercream. Press the toasted sliced almonds onto the sides, and scatter a few white nonpareils or pearl sugar on top if using.

10. Chill briefly to set, then serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temp or longer refrigerated, bring back to room temp before serving for the best texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350 F/175 C)
2. Two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and parchment paper to line the bottoms (grease and flour them)
3. Small rimmed baking sheet for toasting the sliced almonds
4. Stand mixer or hand mixer (and a large mixing bowl if your mixer head isnt attached)
5. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and a kitchen scale (spoon and level the flour)
6. Several mixing bowls (one for dry ingredients, one for the milk/sour cream mix)
7. Whisk and rubber/silicone spatula (for folding and scraping, dont overmix)
8. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for the confectioners sugar
9. Offset spatula (for frosting) and a wire rack to cool the cakes

FAQ

White Almond Wedding Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Cake flour (2 3/4 cups)
  • All-purpose swap: For each cup cake flour use 1 cup all-purpose minus 2 tbsp, then add 2 tbsp cornstarch and sift. It mimics cake flour texture pretty well.
  • Gluten free: Use a 1-to-1 gluten free pastry blend cup for cup, add 1 tsp xanthan gum if the blend doesn’t already have it.
• Egg whites (8 large)
  • Vegan option: 1 cup aquafaba (chickpea brine) whisked till foamy replaces 8 egg whites; add a pinch cream of tartar to help stability.
  • Convenience: 1 cup pasteurized liquid egg whites = 8 large whites, use at room temp for best volume.
• Unsalted butter (1 cup / 226 g)
  • Salted butter: Use 1:1 but cut the added salt in the recipe roughly in half (so drop the 1/2 tsp to about 1/4 tsp).
  • Dairy free: Substitute vegan stick butter 1:1, or swap up to half the butter for neutral oil for a slightly more tender, moister crumb.
• Almond extract (1 1/2 tsp)
  • Milder almond note: 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 1/4 tsp softened almond paste dissolved into the milk works great.
  • No almond on hand: Use 2 tsp vanilla, or 1 tsp vanilla plus 1 tsp amaretto liqueur for a nutty flavor boost.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh the flour if you can, but if not spoon and level like the recipe says. Too much flour makes the cake dry, and too little makes it collapse. Also, room temp egg whites mix more smoothly so pull them out 30 minutes before you start.

2) Almond flavor is easy to overdo, it gets bitter fast. Start with the lower amount of extract, taste the buttercream as you go, and only bump it up if you really want that punch. If you want a deeper nutty note without raw extract, crumble a little almond paste into the batter, but mix it in well so you dont get lumps.

3) When folding in the dry and milk alternations use a rubber spatula and scrape the bottom, fold gently until just combined. Overmixing ruins the crumb. If the batter feels too dense, stop mixing and trust the oven a bit, better slightly undermixed than beaten to death.

4) For the frosting: beat the butter really pale and fluffy first, then add sifted sugar slowly so you dont get a sugar cloud. If your buttercream ends up too soft, chill it for 10 to 20 minutes then whip again, if it’s too stiff add a teaspoon of cream at a time. Press the toasted sliced almonds on the sides while the frosting is cold enough to hold them, not melting or sliding down.

White Almond Wedding Cake Recipe

Recipe by Tina Braven

0.0 from 0 votes

I adapted my White Almond Cake Recipe from a vintage bakery note and I'm sharing the single surprising pantry swap that keeps the method simple and reliably successful.

Pin

Servings

12

servings

Calories

958

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350 F/175 C)
2. Two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and parchment paper to line the bottoms (grease and flour them)
3. Small rimmed baking sheet for toasting the sliced almonds
4. Stand mixer or hand mixer (and a large mixing bowl if your mixer head isnt attached)
5. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and a kitchen scale (spoon and level the flour)
6. Several mixing bowls (one for dry ingredients, one for the milk/sour cream mix)
7. Whisk and rubber/silicone spatula (for folding and scraping, dont overmix)
8. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for the confectioners sugar
9. Offset spatula (for frosting) and a wire rack to cool the cakes

Ingredients

• Cake

• 2 3/4 cups (330 g) cake flour

• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened (about 2 sticks)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil like canola or vegetable

• 8 large egg whites, room temperature

• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature

• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

• 1 tablespoon almond paste softened and crumbled optional

• Almond buttercream frosting

• 1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter softened

• 6 cups (720 g) confectioners sugar sifted

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract to taste

• 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk to thin

• Pinch of fine sea salt

• Garnish

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted

• Optional small handful of white nonpareils or pearl sugar for sparkle

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; spread the sliced almonds on a small baking sheet and toast 5 to 8 minutes until golden, watch them, they burn fast. Let almonds cool.
• Whisk together 2 3/4 cups cake flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a bowl, set aside. Spoon and level the flour when measuring so you dont end up with a dry cake.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream 1 cup (226 g) softened unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup neutral oil and beat just to combine. If using the 1 tablespoon almond paste, add it now and beat until mostly dissolved.
• Add the 8 large egg whites one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated but dont overbeat. Stir in 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract.
• In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt) until smooth. With mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix only until combined, scrape the bowl, dont overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smooth tops, and bake 25 to 30 minutes for 9 inch pans (a little longer for deeper pans) until a toothpick comes out clean and cake springs back gently. Cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the almond buttercream, beat 1 1/2 cups (340 g) softened unsalted butter on medium until pale and fluffy. Gradually add 6 cups sifted confectioners sugar, beating low to start so you dont get a sugar cloud, then up the speed until smooth.
• Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract to taste, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk to reach a spreadable consistency, taste and adjust sweetness or almond flavor.
• Level cake layers if needed, place one layer on your board, spread an even layer of buttercream, stack second layer and apply a thin crumb coat all over. Chill 20 to 30 minutes to set, then finish with a smooth final coat of buttercream. Press the toasted sliced almonds onto the sides, and scatter a few white nonpareils or pearl sugar on top if using.
• Chill briefly to set, then serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temp or longer refrigerated, bring back to room temp before serving for the best texture.

Notes

• Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 230g
• Total number of serves: 12
• Calories: 958kcal
• Fat: 60.5g
• Saturated Fat: 26.1g
• Trans Fat: 0.25g
• Polyunsaturated: 5g
• Monounsaturated: 16.7g
• Cholesterol: 106mg
• Sodium: 210mg
• Potassium: 150mg
• Carbohydrates: 108.5g
• Fiber: 1.5g
• Sugar: 85g
• Protein: 7g
• Vitamin A: 1046IU
• Vitamin C: 0.5mg
• Calcium: 48mg
• Iron: 0.42mg