Soft cake with a crunch that is pairing the nutty flavor of almonds with the sweet delicate texture of a caramel buttercream
TOASTED ALMONDS CAKE W/ CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
INGREDIENTS // makes a round cake of 20 cm circumference enough for 8 medium to 12 small servings
For the toasted almonds cake
190 g butter, room temperature
125 g raw almonds
100 g brown sugar
100 g granulated sugar
the seeds from one vanilla pod
3 whole eggs
300 ml buttermilk
385 g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
For the caramel buttercream
220 ml heavy cream at room temperature
140 g granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp cornstarch
The seeds from one vanilla pod
A pinch of fine sea salt
350 g butter, softened at room temperature
EXECUTION
Start with toasting the almonds in a preheated oven at 170°C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. When ready, remove them from the oven, transfer the almonds on a cool tray and let them cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients; cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix well - using a whisk.
In a food processor, add the almonds, the two types of sugar and process until the almonds are finely chopped and the sugars almost powdered.
In a stand or hand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter for a 2-3 minutes and then add the almonds-sugars mix. Continue beating the mixture for another 5-7 minutes until the butter is softened and lighter in colour and texture.
Add one egg at a time and make sure it is well incorporated in the mix before adding the next one. Slice the vanilla pod open and remove the seeds - using the false edge of a knife. Add the vanilla seeds to the mix.
Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and ⅓ of the buttercream or milk with vinegar and mix well - using a wooden spoon or spatula. Continue with the rest of the dry ingredients and milk. Mix well until everything is well combined in a smooth batter.
Transfer the batter in a springform of 20 cm circumference and bake it in a preheated oven at 170°C for 60 minutes until you insert a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack.
In a pan, over medium to high heat, warm up the sugar until it melts and caramelizes to an amber colour. Remove from fire and add the heavy cream while constantly swirling the contents of the pan. Be careful when adding the cream because it will spatter due to temperature difference. It is advised that you slightly warm up the cream before you add it to the caramel.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the cornstarch, the contents of the vanilla pod and the salt. Stir using a whisk. Add a small portion of the caramel to the egg yolks-cornstarch mixture, stir and add this back to the caramel. Cook for about 5 minutes while constantly stirring using a whisk and until the caramel custard thickens. When the custard is cooled to room temperature, cream the butter for about 7 minutes in a stand or hand mixer with the paddle attachment on and add the custard. Beat until smooth.
When the cake is completely cool, cut the uneven top and slice it transversely to create two even disks that will be the layers of your final cake.
On a serving plate, place the first layer of the cake and cover it with a generous portion of caramel buttercream. Place the second cake layer on top and add a few tablespoons of the buttercream. Cover the sides of the cake with some more cream and make it smooth with a palette knife.
Decorate the cake according to preference with flowers and toasted almonds.
Notes:
- I used one springform of 20 cm circumference but you could use a slightly larger one as well. In this case the baking time will be less as the cake will be less thick. I created a thick cake and cut it half to create the two cake layers. Alternatively, you could divide the batter into 2 spring forms of the same size to create two cake layers. In this case your baking time should be half as your cake will be thinner and thus will bake faster.
- If buttermilk is not easily available where you are, you can use cow or plant based milk instead adding 2 teaspoons of white wine or apple cider vinegar to compensate for the acidity .
- It is advised to make the cake and the custard for the buttercream one day in advance to let it rest and develop its full flavour. You will also be able to cut the cake easily without running the risk of breaking it.
X
Alexandra