An Unusual Frosting, an Unusual Cake & the Best Thing I've Baked
Try this An Unusual Frosting, an Unusual Cake & the Best Thing I've Baked recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this An Unusual Frosting, an Unusual Cake & the Best Thing I've Baked recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1
- 1/2
- 3
- 2
- teaspoons baking powder
- teaspoon salt
- cups sugar
- eggs
- 2 1/4
- for the cake 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teas at room temperature 1 1/3 cups sugar 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup almond flour or meal for the frosting 1 cup milk 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1/2 te
- for the cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 at room temperature 1 1/3 cups sugar 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup almond flour or meal
- cups all-purpose flour
- cup butter at room temperature
- 1 1/3
- teaspoon almond extract
- 3/4
- cup milk
- 1/3
- cup almond flour or meal
- for the frosting
- 1 cup milk 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoo at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- cup milk
- tablespoons all-purpose flour
- cup butter at room temperature
- cup sugar
- teaspoon almond extract
- Carbohydrate 394.393350847164 g
- Cholesterol 52.5887499999999 mg
- Fat 7.06363041964857 g
- Fiber 10.1690728760668 g
- Protein 37.2025239379299 g
- Saturated Fat 2.35270421469745 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (623g)
- Sodium 10177.4336842681 mg
- Sugar 384.224277971097 g
- Trans Fat 1.38636588673387 g
- Calories 1790 calories
Step-by-step
- Gather all the ingredients for the cake and frosting.
- Preheat your oven and prepare the baking pans.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the almond extract.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in the almond flour or meal.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until done.
- Prepare the frosting by whisking milk and flour over heat until thickened, then let it cool.
- Beat the butter, sugar, and almond extract together, then combine with the cooled flour mixture.
- Frost the cooled cake and serve.
Stiffening butter with a cooked flour paste achieves an exceptionally smooth emulsion that traditional American buttercream often lacks. When heat gelatinizes starch molecules in flour suspended within milk, a thick roux forms that traps air efficiently during the subsequent whipping stage. This cooked base must cool entirely to room temperature before blending; otherwise, residual thermal energy melts the soft butter and breaks the suspension into a greasy liquid.
Structuring the Crumb
Incorporating finely ground almond meal alongside all-purpose flour introduces dense fat globules that shorten gluten strands, yielding a tender crumb structure while imparting a distinct nutty aroma. Whisking baking powder thoroughly through the dry components ensures uniform rise and prevents pockets of uneven density throughout the cake layers. Adding eggs one at a time while mixing permits proper emulsification of moisture and fat, building a stable matrix that holds its shape under heavy frosting.
- If butter curdles into the cooled flour base, the paste was too warm; chill the bowl for ten minutes and beat aggressively.
- Swapping whole milk for skim milk reduces fat content, yielding a less stable frosting prone to weeping.
- Granulated sugar can replace almond meal weight-for-weight, though the resulting crumb loses its characteristic nutty depth and retains more moisture.
