There’s no cake quite like white almond cake. Also known as wedding cake. A light, fluffy and moist white cake is flavored with pure almond extract and frosted with the fluffiest and silkiest buttercream out there.
I love this cake so much that I served it at my wedding. I had it made of course. I like to bake, but left that one up to Glorious Desserts in Des Moines. Her almond cake is bad ass. My mom will order one for family celebrations and haul it 5 hours from Des Moines to Chicago for us…she’s the best.
But because I love almond cake so much, I had to have a recipe that I could make at home that I equally loved as much as Glorious Desserts.
This is it! I have made this cake plenty of times and no matter what, it’s everyone’s favorite. They actually say I don’t make it enough! My mother-in-law’s best friend made this cake for her wedding! She said it was outstanding. See! This is why I love to blog – sharing recipes and my love for almond cake inspired someone to make it for her wedding! That makes me smile. 🙂
This cake could not be any easier to make. It’s very straightforward and starts out with a cake mix that’s doctored up quite a bit. What you’re left with is a runny batter that turns into the lightest, fluffiest and moist cake that there is. The flavor is WONDERFUL. No egg yolks in this one so the cake is totally white and beautiful.
I topped it off with my favorite frosting recipe…a silky buttercream that’s made with flour. It can be slightly tricky to make, but follow the directions and you should be fine. I’ve never had an issue making it!
To give you a visual of the frosting – the flour mixture is to the left – it looks like cake batter actually and is sticky, the middle is what it looks like after it’s whipped – so fluffy! and the last is the final the product!
You can’t go wrong with this one my friends. If you need a cake, this is your recipe. You can switch it up if you don’t like almond…add lemon extract, just vanilla extract, orange extract, etc. etc. The best part of this cake is that it’s full proof and tastes amazing every time!
Wish I had a piece now!
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- 1, 15.25 ounce (432 grams) package white cake mix
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1⅓ cups water, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 3 round cake pans.
- Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour in the water, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mix on low until all the ingredients are mixed and moistened but some lumps still remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, and bake in the preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes-30 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to sputter, whisking constantly. Continue to stir as the mixture thickens. You will know it’s done when it reaches the consistency of thick cake batter (This took only a couple of minutes for me, but it can take longer). Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract, and a pinch of salt, and set aside to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand-held mixer, beat 2 sticks of softened butter (1 cup) with 1¼ cups of granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and white in color, about 3 solid minutes of beating on medium-high speed. You want the sugar to be totally incorporated and dissolved into the butter. If it's a little gritty, don't worry. The sugar will dissolve at the frosting sets.
- Be sure that the milk/flour mixture has completely cooled, and add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat all ingredients for about 1 minute on high-speed, scraping down the bowl halfway, until they are smooth and well blended. The frosting should be as light and fluffy as whipped cream.
Cake Recipe: allrecipes.com Frosting: Can you stay for dinner?
Just tried Pillsbury white cake and Betty Crocker white cake. Betty Crocker is less sweet and much better in my opinion (a bit moister, a bit denser).
Can I substitute oil for butter?
Probably not. You could try it but it may effect the texture of the cake. Oil does make for a moist cake, though.
Could you add a bit of amaretto to either the cake or frosting or would this mess it all up?
That would be fine!
Hi,
I don’t want to make a layered cake. What would I need to change to just make a 1 layer 9×13 cake?
Hi Kristina – I think you could just use the recipe and bake it as a 9×13. I’ve never done it but most cake recipes are fine when you do this – just check the baking more often because it will probably take little longer.
I’d like to make this cake for my Daughter’s first birthday! We live in Denver, should we make any adjustments for higher altitude? Thanks!
Hi Patti – I’m not sure but I think it will fine!
I did this cake for my first granddaughter baptism and for the trail cake i followed the recipe and used Pillsburry and i liked it but then for the final cake a used Betty crocker and it was much much better!! Loved it!! Thanks!!
Help! 🙂
I REALLY want to make this cake, but need for about 20 people and I’m thinking I’d prefer a double layer sheet cake vs. a triple layer round. Would this work to double the recipe (noting that this serves 8-12) and make two 13×9 cakes?
Thoughts on what would work and how long it should bake for?
Hi Rachel! Here are my thoughts – yes I think you could make two 13×9 cakes. Instead of doubling the recipe I would just make it twice. As far as baking time, I would start at 20 minutes and check and go from there. The best thing to do is trial it. I know that’s difficult sometimes, but if you’re going to serve a bunch of people, I always do a test run first because worst case scenario it doesn’t work and then you are out of luck. This can be made into cupcakes if you would rather do that? It’s a wonderful cake and people always love it. Hope it works!!
Love this recipe by the way! I actually just doubled it and baked 2 x 11×15 for birthday party. 325* for roughly 39 minutes. It almost didn’t fit in my kitchen aid just a fair warning. Just took them out of the oven and they smell great!! Thanks again for this recipe!
Hi Kate! thanks for the comment! Glad you liked it and it baked up nicely for you!
After I mixed the frosting it doesn’t look like enough to cover the cake. And it seems to be not think enough. Will it thinken as it sits?
Yes it’s enough! It doesn’t really thicken. It should’ve thickened as you whip it.
This recipe is delicious! Do you have a chocolate version of this frosting?
Thank you! I don’t but I’ll work on making one!
Is it ok to use regular buttercream icing from the can?
Yes of course
The cake smells amazing and I’m looking forward to it, but the frosting is gritty. I’ve beaten it for about 10 minutes, trying to get the sugar to dissolve, but it’s not happening. Should I have made it in advance? I’m so disappointed. My mom requested this cake for her birthday and I’m afraid it isn’t going to be very good if I can’t figure out a spell to fix this frosting.
It will be fine! As it sets the sugar will dissolve.
I didn’t seem to have enough batter for 3 layers , is there somtbing iv missed ? Baking powder ? Self raising flour ?
Putting it together tomorrow so I’m excited to decorate it
Hi Ash – There should be enough. They will be thinner layers but they will puff up as they bake. If you only did two layers, that’s okay! Just watch the baking time – it might take a few minutes longer.
Hello…I can’t find a 15 oz white cake mix. I only have a 16.25oz. Will that work too?
That’s fine!
Hi there! Is this frosting shelf-stable or should I refrigerate the cake if I need it to last a day or two? Can it hold up sitting out for a couple hours?
Hello! I would refrigerate but yes it will hold up sitting out, too.
Is there a reason that the icing needs to be refrigerated? I want to try both the cake with the icing but wonder if the iicing has to be refrigerated because of ingredients used.
Thanks for a response!
After you have iced the cake, I would suggest putting it in the refrigerator and taking out and bring to room temp before serving.
Flout type? All purpose, self-rising, or cake flour?
all purpose!
Hello
For this recipe can I use milk instead of water and butter instead of oil?
Thanks
Hi Teresa – I haven’t tried it so I am not sure. If you decide to, I would melt the butter first then cool it before adding.
Yes I use melted cool butter and milk as a substitute for the oil and water in all boxed cakes. I wasn’t sure how it would react since sour cream is being used also.
This cake is so good!! It doesn’t even need the icing (which is delicious, too!). Would you happen to know much batter to make for a 12x18x2 sheet cake pan and how long would it take to cook? I’d like to make this for my daughter’s first birthday and we want everyone to try this yummy cake.
Hi Dallas! So glad you like it. I’m not sure how much batter it would make but I think it would work fine! I would to a test run first. As far as baking time, try 15 minutes and go from there.
Hi Jessica, The cake came out well, but I think something happened to the frosting that it does hot look homogeneous in texture. What could it be?
could you explain more? Is it not thick enough?
what size boxed cake mix did you use with this recipe? And can you use butter in place of oil? Also can you substitute buttermilk for the water?
15 ounce box and I have not tried the recipe with those substitution so I am not sure. If you decide to try it, I would use cooled melted butter. Let me know how it turns out!
I am so excited to try this! I will be making a cake for my mom’s birthday when we are in Florida and her favorite cake is from Glorious Cake in Des Moines!!
MINE TOO!! My parents drove the cake from Iowa to Chicago for my daughter’s baptism. I do have to say that this recipe is just as good! I get a ton of good reviews on it!
For the frosting, you specify “granulated sugar” but, for the cake, you say “white sugar”. Is the white sugar confectioners sugar, or should I still be using granulated sugar in the cake itself?
granulated sugar for both!
This looks similar to my doctored cake mix recipe. I don’t add sugar and flour to mine so I think I’ll try yours next time. I have a question about your frosting. It says granulated. Did you mean powdered or do you actually use regular old sugar? Doesn’t the frosting come out gritty? Thanks!
Hi Janine! Yes, I do mean regular sugar! nope it dissolves right into the frosting as it sets!
Hello
How does the frosting turn pink?
Did you use food coloring?
yes I did!
Hi there! ☺️ I’m going to try this recipe for sure! 💕 But I have a quick question? On the icing do I use food coloring to make it pink? It wasn’t on the ingredients so don’t want to mess this up. 😊
Yes! You can use whatever color you want or just keep it white!
Hi. Can you suggest alternative to a white cake mix? I dont have this and there are so many variations of it.
Any flavor cake mix would work if that’s what you’re asking!
I made this cake and took it to work and everyone loved it. Although I couldn’t follow it exactly, it came out really nice. I didn’t have white cake mix so I used butter cake mix and instead of just putting the egg whites in in the beginning I created a mirengue and beat the whites until they had stiff peaks. My cake came out a little more dense but very moist. I made it as a trial for my boyfriend’s birthday tomorrow and used my coworkers as guinnea pigs. They loved it. I’m making another tonight but I realized a little too late that I put the milk for the icing in the cake batter and completely forgot the egg whites. So far they look good but only time will tell. I am also making a blackberry filling to put between the layers. I really love this icing. It threw me for a loop when it said to heat milk and flour almost like I was making a roux. This icing recipe is amazing. It’s buttery but light and rich. Fingers crossed the cakes taste as good as they look. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
wow! This sounds amazing! Hope it turns out!
I made this yesterday and followed it exactly. It was good felt it didn’t have enough almond flavoring but my sister said she could taste it. This morning I could smell it and taste it better. The frosting was great and I had plenty for all layers. I used 3- 9 inch cake pans and with my ice scoop was able to do 4 scoops on each pan they came out great .
wonderful! Yes, the flavor develops as it sets, but almond flavoring is all about what you like…so if you want more almond flavor feel free to add more extract!
Good Morning! We made this cake yesterday and it is delish! What size rounds do you use and do you
double the frosting to get it to look as high and full as the photo? We used 9″ and ended up making a naked cake because there was not enough frosting and the layers were wider than high. Tips? Excellent recipe though!!!
good morning! So glad you liked it! I use 3, 9 inch pans. I didn’t double the frosting actually but I know it just barely frosts the cake so go ahead and double it if you’d like more frosting!
Hi Jessica, I live in Indonesia, a lil bit remote area. I wonder if I can replace the “cake mix package” with regular ingredients? What is in the package? And how’s the measurements?
Hello! Unfortunately I haven’t tested this recipe without the cake mix so I can’t tell you exactly how to make it without it. If I had to guess I would start with 3 1/2 cups cake flour and 1 tablespoon baking powder in it’s place. Good luck!
I am not an experienced baker so forgive the novice question. In the recipe for the frosting , it calles for pure vanilla and pure almond extract. In the cake it doesn’t specify pure….what is the extract if it isn’t “pure” I only use pure vanilla any recipe I follow because I was told how much difference it makes.
Hi Emily – I always use pure extracts as well instead of artificial. I just didn’t clarify in the recipe section. I’ll update! Thanks for clarifying for me!
Hello. You almost lost me at “cake mix”, I really don’t like using prepared cake mixes except for cakepops but I’ll give it a try since the reviews are so positive 🙃, could you tell me which one you use? I always use Duncan Hines white for my cakepops and it tastes really good and the cake has a great consistency but maybe the one you use is the perfect one for this recipe. Also I’d like to know if the consistency of the cake is strong enough for stacking and to be covered with fondant. The frosting looks delicious and I like the idea of granulated sugar, I will for sure try that one too. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hello! I understand that some don’t like using cake mixes but I can promise you this cake is wonderful!! I typically use Pillsbury white cake mix and as far as the cake being strong enough for fondant, I’m not sure because I’ve never tried it. It’s not a super dense cake so the fondant may be a little too heavy for it. A regular buttercream or the frosting that I suggested would probably be best!
How many cups of batter dies this recipe make?
I am not sure how many cups it makes. Maybe 4? sorry!
Hi Jessica, I am going to make this for a coworker tomorrow. I live at a high altitude. (5,000 ft) Will I need to change anything up? 😊
Hi Aimee – I haven’t made it in high altitude before so I am not sure. Hope it turned out!
This looks fantastic! My husband requested “espresso almond cake” for his birthday cake, so I am wondering if I could incorporate the espresso flavoring into the frosting recipe you have here. Think I could add a bit of espresso to the frosting without ruining the other flavors or consistency?
HI Lauren! You can totally try it! However much espresso you use, just reduce the amount of milk then. Let me know how it turns out!
I making a two tier wedding cake with a (x2)8 inch top and (x2)10 bottom. Is this a good recipe to double and how many times should I double it. Just wondering.
Hi Rachelle – how fun! This is a wonderful wedding cake. Unfortunately I have never baked it the way you are so I am not 100% confident in answering your questions. As far as doubling or tripling the recipe that all depends on how much you need to feed as well. I do think you can double it and it would be fine. My best suggestion would be to double it and give it a trial run to see how it worked out for you. Good luck!!
Could you use buttermilk in place of the sour cream?
Hi Tammy – I haven’t tried substituting any of the ingredients so I can’t give you a 100% guarantee that it will work. With that said, I don’t think it would make that much of a difference. If you do try it, let me know!
Is this recipe good for square pans for a 3 tier wedding cake? I noticed you use round pans
Yes, it should be fine!
This cake is awesome! I did make 1 + 1/2 of the icing because my family loves lots of icing and really you do need more than this recipe calls for. It came out perfect, I brought it to a meeting and everyone raved over it. My husband has already asked me to make one for his office party.
I’m so excited to try this cake for my mom’s birthday. She craves almond “wedding cake” so this looks perfect. Have you tried this with a gluten free cake mix and almond flour? My sister in law is gluten free so I’d like to accommodate her while continuing to offer the strong almond flavor.
Cheers!
It’s a really really good cake – everyone loves it! I have not tried it with gluten free cake mix, but perhaps you could do a test run to see if you like it? Good luck and enjoy!
is it okay to add blueberries to this cake
Hi Lorna! I have never added fruit but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I would suggest tossing the blueberries in a little flour before adding to the batter and gently fold them in so they get evenly distributed. Let me know how it turns out!
I know this is an old post but I noticed that in the directions for the frosting you wrote granulated sugar, which is white sugar. Did you mean powdered, also called confectioners, sugar?
Hi Tonya! Nope! The recipes actually calls for granulated sugar. The sugar eventually dissolves because it’s whipped so much. It might be a little grainy at first but as it sets, it becomes very smooth and silky!.
Okay, thanks!
Yes, I was worried that it tasted grainy at first but I whipped it up extra and put it in the fridge overnight. When we finally got to taste it the icing was smooth and creamy. The icing is just right – not to sleep.
Glad you liked it! I love this icing recipe, too!
Hi Jessica! I was wondering if the frosting would be good for decorating?
Hi Kelly! I haven’t tried decorating with it but I can tell you it’s a very fluffy silky frosting so it may not be the best. A buttercream would hold up better.
Thanks so much for the reply. I made a batch, delish!! But I did notice that it wouldnt be ideal for decorating, so I used it for filling between my layers and decorated with buttercream. I used your cake recipe and I will definitely use it again, came out amazing! I would post pictures if I could of how the layers came out. The 3 tier wedding cake was a total hit. Thanks!
Hi! Do you know how many ounces the cake mix should be? Apparently some are a little over 15 oz and some are 18 oz. Thank you!
I’m making a fancy cake for a tea my moms group is having next month. I’m planning to make this cake, add some raspberry filling, and coat with almond buttercream. I can’t wait! ??
Hi Aimee – it’s a 15.25 ounce box. So fun! I love the addition of the raspberry filling – let me know how it turns out!
Jessica I used the egg yolks an it did not change color… Ohhh it was so delicious thank you !!
Glad to hear it!
Hey there can you used the egg yolks as well?
Hi Becky – if you use the egg yolks, it will change the color of the cake and make it a yellow cake. I suggest keeping only the egg whites.
Does this cake work as cupcakes? If so, what should the baking time be? Thanks!
Hi Shannon – I have never made them as cupcakes but I bet it would! I would start baking time out at 15 minutes then check them. Most cupcakes bake for about 18-22 minutes. Let me know how they turn out!
I just used this to make cupcakes for a bridal shower and they came out so perfect! It made about 34 cupcakes for this recipe.
Yum!
With this recipe do you have to make the package of white cake mix like it says on the box then add the rest?
Hi Gabi – nope! Don’t follow the package directions on the cake mix. Simply stir the cake mix with the other ingredients.
Which kind of flour to use
all-purpose!
The cake and frosting were delicious. My family critics totally enjoyed it. I had no problems with the frosting, but, I did have my doubts about “flour” in my frosting. But after tasting the frosting, yum, yum, yum. I covered half my cake with the frosting and the other half of the cake was frosted with chopped maraschino cherries added to the frosting. We couldn’t decide which tasted better.
So glad you enjoyed it Trini! I love the maraschino cherries in the frosting – yum!!
the best almond white cake ever!!! simple and delicious, I’ve made this dozens of time with nothing but rave reviews!!! I think people invite me to their parties just to ask me to make this cake for it!!! The frosting is like ice cream. Sinfully delicious and fun watching other people eat it and enjoy it.
So glad you enjoy it Sam! It’s truly the best recipe ever!
Thanks for the amazing cake recipe! I trimmed each round cake so that I could stack them and I can not stop eating the extra pieces! Yum!!
So glad you like it Katie! It’s one of my favorites!
The frosting separated for me as well. It tasted pretty good, but it looked like oatmeal??? I had to sprinkle coconut over the top to cover it up.
Hi Em,
So sorry to hear that! I have never had this problem. I am assuming that you may have over whipped the frosting causing it to separate, similar to what can happen when making fresh whipped cream. Try mixing it less next time or on a lower speed and it should come out fluffy.
Make sure the butter is not too cold and quite soft. That might help.
Thanks Suzanne! Great advice!
How many cups of batter did this make and what size pans did you use? I need maybe 7 recipies to make my daughter’s wedding cake. I want 14 in., 10 in., and 6 in. Thanks for the recipie!
Hello! I use 9 x 1 1/2 inch round pans. Truthfully, I am not sure how cups the batter actually makes but I am guessing about 2 cups per pan? My advice would be to trial and error it if you have the time!
I let it cool and mixed it with the butter and sugar but it came out pretty watery. I’m struggling with the icing, I tried it twice and can’t seem to get it right.
shoot! I hear ya…it took me 4 times to get homemade caramel sauce right last week so I completely understand. If you’re mixing it constantly over medium heat, it should come out right. If you scroll to the very bottom of the recipe, there is link “can you stay for dinner” to a very similar frosting recipe that shows the pictures which might help. Let me know if that helps!
When making the icing at the part where you heat the milk and flour is it suppose to look like oatmeal? Mine turned out with bead like things in it.
Hi Julie! It kind of looks like oatmeal and may have a few clumps but not many. It really looks like a thick cake batter. You may have burnt it a little which caused it to clump. Did you whip it with the sugar and butter? If so, how did that turn out?
In your frosting ingredients, you say 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract. In the directions, you say 2 tsp vanilla. I’m assuming it’s 1 and 1 because of the almond nature of the cake, but verification would be lovely! Thanks.
Hi Lauren – you are absolutely correct! It is 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of almond. Thanks for reaching out – I just corrected it. Enjoy the cake!!