Amaretto Cake with Cappuccino Buttercream
This cake and frosting combination is nothing short of heavenly!
For the cake:
1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup), softened
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup half and half
⅔ to 1 cup Italian amaretto liqueur
For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), very soft
2½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons Espresso powder
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Equipment: Two 8″ round cake pans
Parchment paper
Natural Gas oven
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Butter the two cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan with flour; tap out any excess flour.
Whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer; using the paddle attachment cream on medium speed until very smooth, at least 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until smooth. Mix in the extracts. Reduce the mixer to low speed and add a third of the flour mixture, half the half-and-half, another third of the flour, the rest of the liquid, and finishing with the last of the flour. Mix only a few seconds after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixture and use a large spatula to do any final mixing for a smooth batter.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans, using a digital kitchen scale if you have one. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
Place the cake pans on wire racks and use a thin skewer to poke holes into the cake layers. Slowly pour one-third to one-half cup of amaretto over each layer. Leave the cakes in the pans until completely cool. Remove the cakes from the pans and remove the parchment paper. Frost with buttercream frosting.
CAPPUCCINO BUTTERCREAM
Place the very soft butter in the bowl of your electric mixer and using the paddle attachment cream the butter on medium speed until it is very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. This is a crucial step for a successful buttercream.
If you are using instant espresso, grind it first in your spice grinder to a powder texure.
Add the confectioner’s sugar and the espresso powder to the butter and mix at medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Gradually add the cream one tablespoon at a time as you do not want to add too much liquid. Usually 3 tablespoons is enough for the right spreading texture. Add the vanilla and beat for about 5 minutes.
Cakes iced with buttercream frosting should be stored in the refrigerator.