Almond White Cake🍰 Dessert
Delicate and fluffy with stunning appeal, here's the dreamy white cake you've always imagined!
By Marcus Rivera, Kitchen Tips Editor
This classic white cake strikes the perfect balance between elegance and comfort, making it ideal for everything from birthday celebrations to bridal showers. The almond extract gives it a sophisticated flavor that sets it apart from ordinary vanilla cakes, while the combination of sour cream and cake flour creates an incredibly tender, fine-textured crumb. What makes this recipe truly special is its pure white appearance—using only egg whites keeps the color pristine, making it the perfect canvas for any occasion.
The key to achieving that dreamy, cloud-like texture is ensuring all your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. Cold eggs or milk can cause the batter to curdle or mix unevenly, resulting in a denser cake. When alternating the dry and wet ingredients, resist the urge to overmix—stopping as soon as everything is just combined keeps the gluten development minimal and your cake tender. Also, don't skip lining those pans with parchment paper; it ensures your delicate layers release cleanly every time.
While the almond buttercream is divine as written, you can easily customize this cake to suit your taste. Try adding a layer of raspberry or apricot preserves between the cake layers for a fruity contrast, or fold in toasted sliced almonds to the frosting for added texture. For a more dramatic presentation, consider making this as a three-layer cake by dividing the batter among three 8-inch pans and adjusting the baking time to 20-25 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 6 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
Nutrition (Per 12 servings)*
* AI-estimated values only — not a substitute for professional nutrition labeling.
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream 1 cup salted butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Beat in 2 teaspoons almond extract, then mix in 1/2 cup sour cream until just combined.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, lightly mix together 6 egg whites and 1 cup milk or buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 1/2 cups cake flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Add ½ of the milk mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat with another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining milk mixture. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat 1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened, and 2 teaspoons almond extract until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well between additions. Add 1 tablespoon milk as needed to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Once cakes are completely cool, frost and layer as desired.
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