Almond Amaretto White Cake is a classic White Cake with a twist. Made from scratch with almond flavoring and a sweet amaretto cream cheese frosting, this almond cake makes the perfect addition to any party!
White Cake with Cranberry Filling is another variation on my white cake recipe you’ll love too. Or go rich and decadent and bake up our favorite Dark Chocolate Cake instead!
Why this Almond Cake is Best
Make a cake that will turn heads and make your taste buds happy! This from-scratch recipe is easy to make with incredible results.
- It starts with the fluffiest layers of white almond cake you’ve ever tasted.
- Real amaretto liqueur elevates the cream cheese frosting to incredible heights of flavor.
- A toasted almond topping adds the perfect nutty crunch and makes this cake look pro quality.
Ingredient Notes
- Egg whites are the secret to fluffy cake with a tender crumb! After separating the whites out from the yolks, let them come to room temperature. Save your yolks and make lemon curd!
- Buttermilk makes your cake super moist. You can use store bought or make your own (see Tips and Tricks below).
- Cake flour contains less protein than all purpose flour for a light, delicate consistency.
- Almond extract gives the cake its almond flavor. Pure extracts are preferred over imitation flavoring in this recipe.
- Amaretto. A little of this sweet and bitter liqueur goes a long way when mixed into our favorite Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe.
- You’ll also need standard ingredients used for baking cake from scratch, including butter, sugar and baking powder.
Tips and Tricks
- Toast your almonds. It only takes a couple of minutes on the stove to draw even more robust flavor from the sliced nuts. Check out this guide on How to Toast Nuts for more tips!
- Buttermilk substitute. My recipe for homemade buttermilk works just as well as the store bought version in this amaretto cake recipe.
- Frost the sides first. I find this gives the cake a smoother, neater appearance than starting at the top and working my way down.
Recipe FAQ
To assemble the cake, place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate. Spread a layer of frosting on top, then cover it with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the white cake. Top it off by pressing toasted almonds around the edges of the cake as desired.
No substitute will have exactly the same flavor as real amaretto liqueur. If you don’t want to use it, you can flavor the cream cheese frosting with 2 teaspoons of imitation amaretto flavoring or almond extract instead.
You would also need to add a bit of milk until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
I have not tested this recipe as a sheet cake, but it should work just fine! You will need to add a few minutes of additional baking time if using a rectangular pan.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator if you’re not eating it right away. Transfer it to a cake container or cover with a cake saver before refrigerating to keep cake moist and fresh.
More Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Cranberry Cake
- Peanut Butter Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Eclair Cake
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Amaretto Almond White Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 Tablespoons almond extract
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the frosting:
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup Amaretto liquor
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- To prepare cake, grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper (cut circles to fit). Set aside.
- In small bowl, mix egg whites and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in almond extract. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg white mixture.
- Beat in remaining buttermilk for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Pour evenly into cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25-28 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool in cake pans 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. add sliced almonds and toast them for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until creamy and combined. Add Amaretto liquor and powdered sugar. Beat an additional 4-5 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
- To assemble, place one cooled cake on a cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer. I like the frost the sides of the cake first, then the top.
- Press the cooled, toasted almonds into the sides, or arrange as desired. ENJOY.
Notes
Nutrition
Put down the boxed cake mix and make this easy Amaretto Almond Cake from scratch instead!
Can I use Vanilla for the almond extract
Hi! I am making this cake for a wedding next month. It calls for 5 egg whites, would boxed egg whites work just as good?
I have not tested the recipe with them.
This sounds amazing, and I’m planning to make it for my Nana’s 85th birthday this weekend! Thank you for sharing!
I do actually have a chicken recipe that takes Almond Extract, and it is delicious!
I used the white cake portion of this recipe to compliment some Italian meringue buttercream frosting I had been experimenting with – it was delicious! The consistency was really soft and moist. Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Thanks for the sweet comment, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Hello Aimee! Thank you for the Amaretto Almond White Cake recipe! I made it for a 49th wedding anniversary celebration, our friends & my husband thought it was fabulous! The cake was easy to make, your directions were so clear. I only used 4 Oz. Cream cheese & 3 1/4 cups confectioners sugar & of course the butter & Amaretto, the frosting was great. This will be a cake I’ll be making often!????
Happy anniversary 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!!