By popular request, here is the recipe for the 12 inch version of my Almond Layer Cake. This is just the recipe for the cake, without frosting, as this is most probably going to be used for a wedding cake, and therefore you’ve probably got your own frosting in mind.
12 Inch Almond Layer Cake
The 12 inch version of my Almond Layer Cake – perfect as the bottom tier of a wedding cake! This will make two 12 inch cakes, perfect to sandwich with the filling of your choice.
Prep Time: 40 min
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 40 min
| INGREDIENTS | INSTRUCTIONS |
| 1. 8 eggs 2. 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 3. 2½ teaspoons almond extract (good quality) 4. 185ml (3¾ cup) milk 5. 600ml (2½ cups) sour cream 6. 750g (6 cups) plain or all-purpose flour 7. 50g (5 tablespoons) cornflour or cornstarch 8. 750g (3¾ cups) caster sugar (US granulated sugar) 9. 6½ teaspoons baking powder 10. 1 teaspoon salt 11. 450g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened | 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F (160°C fan), and grease and line the bottom of two 12 inch round cake tins. Set aside for later. If you only have one cake tin, see my notes below. 2. In a jug or small bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, milk, and sour cream. Beat together with a fork – it will look lumpy and weird, but that’s okay. Set this aside for later. 3. Sift the flour, cornflour, and baking powder into the bowl of your stand mixer Add the sugar and salt, and then whisk together. Put the mixer on a low-medium heat, and add the butter into the bowl, one cube at a time. Keep beating until all the flour has been incorporated into the butter, and the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 4. Put your stand mixer on a low speed, and slowly add half the sour cream mixture into the bowl. Turn up the speed to medium, and beat together for a minute or so, until smooth. Scrape down the sides, then put the mixer back on low, and add the remaining sour cream mixture. Beat for 30 seconds or so on low, until the sour cream mixture has been fully incorporated. 5. Pour half of the batter into each of the two tins, and then bake for roughly 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Make sure it is definitely baked through before removing from the oven, as it is in under-baked it may sink in the middle and be a little too moist. Leave to cool in the tins on a wire rack. Once the cakes are cool enough to handle, remove from the tins and leave to cool completely. Fill and cover with the frosting of your choice. |
1. This two layered cake should be about 4 inches in height once sandwiched together.
2. If you only have one 12 inch cake tin, I would recommend making the cake in two batches, rather than leaving half the cake batter to sit around whilst the other half bakes.
3. As this is a large cake, it might help to use a heating core or flour nails to help get the cake evenly baked.