Xmas scented cake with fluffy vanilla buttercream
This one bowl Xmas cake gets a delicious flavor from roasted hazelnuts and almonds and is frosted with a fluffy vanilla buttercream.
Servings: 10 -14
Ingredients
- For the cakes
- 3 cups (400 grams) all purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons (20 grams) baking powder
- ¾ cups (60 grams) roasted almond and hazelnuts mix
- 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) sugar
- ¼ cups (50 grams) brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (230 grams) soft butter
- 4 medium eggs (200 grams, room temperature)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270 grams milk, room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla
- Zest from half an orange or a whole one for stronger orange flavor
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) brandy
- For the fluffy buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 250 grams, softened)
- 4-5 cups (500-625 grams) confectioners (powdered) sifted sugar (you’ll adjust this according to your preference)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3-4 tablespoons milk (you’ll adjust this according to your preference)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line with baking paper two 8-inch round pans.
- In a food processor, process one cup flour, one cup sugar and the nuts until nuts are finely ground (processing nuts with the flour and sugar, helps the nuts become finely ground like flour, without turning pasty)
- In the bowl of your electric mixer combine all of the dry ingredients and mix for 10-20 seconds until well combined.Add the butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles like wet sand.
- Combine the wet ingredients, zest and eggs in a jug and mix with a fork just to break down the eggs.Add about three quarters of the wet ingredients in the bowl and beat on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl half way. You will see the mixture to lighten in color and get fluffier.Add the rest of the wet ingredients and beat for another 1 minute until well combined.
- Divide the mixture in two pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Invert onto a rack and let the cakes cool.
- For the buttercream, beat butter and 3 and ½ cups sugar on low speed until well incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat well for 3-4 minutes until very fluffy.Add the salt, cinnamon, vanilla and two tablespoons milk and beat to incorporate.
- Taste the buttercream and add more sugar or milk to your preference, until you get the consistency you want, and beat it some more. The more you beat it, the fluffier it will get!
- When the cakes have cooled, frost with buttercream and decorate with hazelnuts and inverted rosemary sprigs.Eat.
Notes
All of the ingredients should be at room temperature (about 71 Fahrenheit / 22 Celsius)
If your home is colder than that, open the oven light (only the light, NOT the oven) and place the ingredients inside for about half an hour.
If your home is colder than that, open the oven light (only the light, NOT the oven) and place the ingredients inside for about half an hour.
