Milk Chocolate Almond Cake
This Milk Chocolate Almond Cake pairs fluffy almond cake layers with a rich milk chocolate ganache frosting.
Servings 12
Calories 767kcal
Ingredients
Milk Chocolate Ganache (make in advance):
- 25 oz good quality milk chocolate finely chopped
- 10 oz heavy cream 1 1/4 cup
Almond Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour *
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk room temperature
- 1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur **
Amaretto Syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur
Instructions
Milk Chocolate Ganache (make in advance):
- Place chopped chocolate into a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan, bring cream just barely to a simmer. Pour over chopped chocolate and cover bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let stand 5 mins. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth. ***
- Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate. Allow to set at room temperature overnight.****
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder,and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine milk and Amaretto. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Amaretto Syrup:
- Place sugar and water into a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 mins. Remove from heat, stir in Amaretto. Cool completely.
Assembly:
- Trim tops of each cake layer just slightly (to help the syrup absorb).
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush generously with Amaretto Syrup. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of ganache and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Allow to set at room temperature for 20mins.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake. Press chopped almonds into the top and side of the cake and pipe dollops on top of desired using a 1M tip.
Notes
* If you don't have almond flour and can't be bothered buying it (I don't blame you), you can just leave it out and increase the flour to 2 1/4 cups.
** If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can use almond extract instead. For the cake, use 1 tsp almond extract (at most) and increase the milk to 1 cup. For the syrup, use 1 tsp of almond extract instead of Amaretto. Almond extract is strong and it's easy to overdo it. Less is more here.
*** If you have unmelted chunks of chocolate in your ganache still, you can heat it up over a simmering double boiler on the stove.
**** You can speed up the thickening of the ganache by placing the it in the fridge, but you need to stir it often.
** If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can use almond extract instead. For the cake, use 1 tsp almond extract (at most) and increase the milk to 1 cup. For the syrup, use 1 tsp of almond extract instead of Amaretto. Almond extract is strong and it's easy to overdo it. Less is more here.
*** If you have unmelted chunks of chocolate in your ganache still, you can heat it up over a simmering double boiler on the stove.
**** You can speed up the thickening of the ganache by placing the it in the fridge, but you need to stir it often.
Nutrition
Calories: 767kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2.9mg