This Burnt Almond Cake tastes just like your favorite bakery’s burnt almond cake! It features fluffy almond cake, almond pastry cream, and almond frosting, covered in candied almond slices.
The city where I grew up, San Jose, doesn’t have a nationally known signature dish. It’s more suburban sprawl than cutting-edge culinary destination. However, there are certain foods that I will always associate with San Jose. During high school I practically lived on falafels from Falafel Drive-In, and to this day I swear their spicy falafels and banana shakes are the best I’ve ever tasted.
In the sweet realm, I can’t talk about San Jose without talking about burnt almond cake, made famous by Dick’s Bakery and Peter’s Bakery.
People tend to divide into two camps—you’re either on Dick’s side, or Peter’s side. There’s no equivocating, and there’s no neutral territory. For myself, I’m a Peter’s Bakery girl. This small hole-in-the-wall bakery was near my house, and I actually had my wedding cake made there, so of course I stay loyal, and would defend the superiority of Peter’s burnt almond cake over Dick’s any day of the week.
I haven’t tasted or thought about burnt almond cake in years, but I recently read something that referenced a different almond cake recipe, and suddenly I couldn’t stop thinking about the cake that reminds me so much of my childhood. I had to make one myself.
If you’re not familiar with burnt almond cake, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. (And also why anyone sane would put the word “burnt” in a cake title in the first place.) Put simply, it’s a fluffy white cake filled with almond pastry cream, frosted with buttercream, and coated with a thick layer of caramelized almonds. My version has almond flavor in every single component, so if you’re an almond fan who’s tired of vanilla or chocolate (or passion fruit!) having all the fun, allow me to introduce you to your new love.
Just to be clear, this is my version of a burnt almond cake, not a recreation of the bakery ones. (I feel like I need this disclaimer so that crazed Dick’s and Peter’s fans don’t track me down chanting “Not the same! Not the same!”) It’s been ages since I’ve tasted the real thing, and I don’t remember the details well enough to be confident of getting things right.
That doesn’t mean that it’s not AWESOME, though. The almond-flavored white cake is moistened by both an almond simple syrup and the creamy almond pastry cream layers. The buttercream is one of those wacky flour-based ones (newly obsessed with them) that has the light texture and flavor of whipped cream but the stability of buttercream. And the homemade caramelized almonds are the crowing touch, adding a great crunch, a bit of chew, and a whole lot of flavor from the deep, darkly caramelized toasted nuts.
No, it’s not the cake of my childhood—but at the risk of boasting, I think it’s even better. And the fact that I can make it in my own kitchen any time I want? That’s the best part of all.
💛More Almond Desserts to Try
- Raspberry Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Cranberry Curd Almond Cake
- Raspberry Rhubarb Almond BarsPersimmon Almond Rosette Tarts
- Chocolate Raspberry Almond Truffle Tart
- Raspberry Almond Spiral Cake
Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake
Blueberry Layer Cake
Burnt Almond Cake
Ingredients
For the Almond Cake:
- ⅔ cup large egg whites, (from approximately 4-5 large eggs)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 10.5 oz cake flour, (3 cups)
- 10.5 oz granulated sugar, (1 ½ cups)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp amaretto, or 1 tsp almond extract
For the Almond Pastry Cream:
- 1 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
For the Almond Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 12 oz unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, I used superfine so it dissolved quickly
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Caramelized Almonds:
- 6 oz sliced almonds, (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
To Make the Almond Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two 9” cake pans with parchment, and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl whisk together the egg whites, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside for now.
- In the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to mix and sift the ingredients. Add the softened butter and the remaining 3/4 cup milk to the bowl, and mix on low speed until the flour is moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 90 seconds.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the egg white mixture in 3 parts, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when pressed. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes, then gently invert them out of the pans, invert them again until they’re right-side up, and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
To Make the Simple Syrup:
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir them together until the sugar dissolves, and heat the sugar syrup until it just starts to boil. Remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in the amaretto or almond extract.
To Make the Almond Pastry Cream:
- Combine the gelatin and cold water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to let the gelatin absorb the water. Once absorbed, microwave the bowl for 10-15 seconds, until the gelatin is liquid. Set aside for now.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, egg, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup of sugar. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Heat the milk over a medium burner until it just starts to boil. Start whisking the egg mixture, and while you’re whisking, drizzle a little hot milk into the eggs. Continue to whisk and drizzle until you’ve added about half of the milk. Switch to whisking the milk, then pour the eggs into the milk mixture while whisking.
- Return the pan to the burner and heat the cream, whisking constantly. Use a rubber spatula to periodically scrape the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t scorch. Cook until the pastry cream thickens and starts a very gently bubbling, then cook for about 2 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the liquid gelatin, vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter.
- Pour the cream through a wire mesh strainer into a bowl. It will be somewhat thick, so use a spatula to help work it through, straining out any clumps of egg that have developed. Press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 2 hours. (To speed the cooling process, the cream can be spread onto a baking sheet and put in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, but don’t forget it in the freezer!)
- Right before you’re ready to use the pastry cream in the cake, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until it forms firm peaks. Gently fold together the pastry cream and whipped cream together.
To Make the Almond Buttercream:
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour and milk. Pour it through a fine wire mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, straining out any flour clumps. Heat the flour mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. It will go from being a thin liquid to being a very thick paste. It should have the consistency of a very thick pudding when you’re done. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the flour mixture cool completely. To speed this process, I like the fill my sink with an inch or two of cold water, and submerge the bottom of the pan in the water, making sure to not get any in the pan. Stir occasionally while the mixture cools.
- Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy and no longer gritty, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once the flour mixture is no longer warm at all, and the butter/sugar is light and fluffy, add the flour to the mixing bowl, along with the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Whip together for 2-3 minutes until well-combined, light, and fluffy. If it seems to separate continue to beat it until it comes back together.
To Make the Caramelized Almonds:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick spray. Place the nuts on the baking sheet and toast them in the oven while you prepare the caramel.
- Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the water dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Insert a candy thermometer and boil the sugar until it starts to turn a golden brown and reads between 310-325 on the thermometer.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the hot nuts from the oven. Stir until the nuts are coated with caramel. Add the butter and stir, then pour the nuts out onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread them into a thin layer without many nuts overlapping.
- Let the nuts cool completely, then break them apart. If they’re in large chunks, chop them coarsely.
To Assemble:
- Using a large serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half. Place one layer on a cake cardboard (or your serving plate) and use a pastry brush to brush it generously with the simple syrup.
- Scoop some buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe a ring of buttercream all along the edge of the cake round to act as a barrier and hold in the filling. Scoop 1/3 of the pastry cream onto the cake, and spread it in an even layer until it covers the cake and reaches the buttercream ring. Top the cake round with a second round, and repeat the process of brushing it with simple syrup, piping a ring of buttercream, and spreading the pastry cream in the center.
- Repeat with the remaining layers, until you have a 4-layer cake with 3 layers of buttercream. Spread buttercream along the sides and top of the cake. It doesn’t have to be super-smooth since most of the surface will be covered with almonds.
- Press caramelized almonds into the sides of the cake. This is easiest if you use a cardboard cake round—hold the cake in one hand, over the baking sheet full of almonds, and use the other to press almonds into the sides, letting the excess fall back onto the sheet.
- Fit a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe rosettes along the top of the cake. Decorate them with more caramelized almonds, if desired. The almonds will start to get sticky after about a day, so for optimal texture enjoy it on the day it’s made, but the flavor is still wonderful several days after.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
This cakes looks delicious and anything with almonds, count me in. Your decorating is superb!
I think it’s awesome you posted this, the cake looks amazing. I grew up in San Jose too (closer to Dick’s, but my mom lives near Peter’s now), and I love that cake.
So fun to hear from another San Jose native! And one with ties to both bakeries, no less… 🙂 This cake will forever remind me of SJ. Let me know if you give it a try!
I grew up in Almaden area of San Jose and fell in love with these cakes from Dicks (didn’t even know of Peters bakery until I started trying to locate this recipe myself). I live in FL now and would love to bring this awesome cake to the East Coast… Will try your recipe as it looks like what I remember. Thanks for giving me the opp to bake this awesome cake!
Awesome, Sherie! Please let me know what you think if you try it out!
I grew up in Santa Clara (Wilson’s bakery turf) but have been thinking about the fab Dick’s bakery almond cake for the last few weeks! Did not even know of Peter’s – wayyyy on the other side of town.
Also love Falafel Drive-In, still as great as ever when I get a chance to go back there, and also the incredible Stan’s Donuts. Will definitely try this version of the cake – thanks!
Oh man, now I’m craving a falafel AND Stan’s Donuts! So glad to share the recipe with a local, and please let me know what you think if you try it!
I’m so excited to find this receipe. My older sister is turning 50 this year and burnt almond cake is her FAVORITE. We are from Los Gatos and I cannot wait to make this cake for her here in Florida while she is visiting me. THANKS!!
Hello! I’m making your burnt almond cake right now. And something went wrong with the buttercream. I’m on the final step of the buttercream and when I tasted it, there are small lumps of gelled material in it. It totally ruins the buttercream because it throws off the texture. What did I do wrong? I don’t want to keep mixing it cause I’m not sure if that will make it worse. I do t mid doing the buttercream over but I want to improve my technique. Your directions are awesome by the way and everything tastes wonderful so far!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!
Hi Angela! So sorry to hear about the buttercream. Those lumps are from the flour mixture that you added. I think there are a few possibilities: 1.) the flour mixture itself was lumpy (this sometimes happens to me when I skip the straining step before cooking it, which is why I included straining in the recipe. If you strained it before you cooked it, this shouldn’t be a problem.) 2.) The flour mixture was cooked too long, and got really really thick and congealed, 3.) it wasn’t stirred enough, either during the cooking or cooling phase or 4.) it was left out at room temp for awhile and got a little dried out on top and formed a “skin,” and these drier top bits didn’t incorporate.
Do any of these sound possible? If you’d like to try again, I’d say DEFINITELY strain the flour/milk through a fine strainer before cooking if you didn’t do it this time, whisk constantly while cooking, cook until it’s thick like a pudding but not much beyond that, stir it often while it cools, and use it once it’s room temp but if you’re not ready to use it right away, press plastic wrap to the top so it doesn’t dry out.
I know that seems like a ton of things, and I’m sure you were doing most of those already, I just wanted to cover all the bases I could think of. 🙂 I hope this helps! And if you’re not excited about the possibility of trying it again, you could always make your favorite buttercream and just add some almond extract to that. Please let me know how it turns out!
Ahhhhhhh Falafel Drive-In! I miss that place. I grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains and went to Los Gatos High School so I don’t remember either bakery, but I do remember those falafels.
thanks for this posting. I am also from SJ and used to order the dick’s version for all special occasions. I am anxious to try this one. PS…The felafel drive-in was featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives
So fun to read the comments – I’m also from the San Jose area (Campbell) and had burnt almond for my birthdays and first baby shower. I would have had it for my wedding cake, too, but my wedding venue forced us to use a baker that didn’t offer it. Boo. And Stan’s! The best! Thanks for the recipe; I can’t wait to try it!
Hi, I’m making this recipe right now, and I’m afraid I may have actually burnt the almonds or the caramel. I put them into the oven like it said for the duration of the time it took to make the caramel to coat them… and they are more brown than what is pictured. At the very end of making the caramel mixture, it started smoking right at the temp suggested, and I took it off, and added the almonds. Are they supposed to have a little bit of the “burnt” smell/taste to them, or should I do this step over? Thanks
Hi Carrie,
Sorry this step is giving you trouble! As far as whether you should re-do the step, I think it all comes down to whether you like the taste of the almonds or not. If they were overcooked, but you still think they taste great, then you can keep going! But if there’s a burnt undertaste that bothers you, then I’d just re-do–it would be a shame to have a cake that you like with a topping that ruins the whole thing. As for what they “should” taste like, I would say no, they shouldn’t taste burnt. When I caramelize nuts I do take them to a dark, almost smoky place, but the final flavor is one of deeply caramelized sugar, not burned or bitter. It’s possible that your stove takes longer than mine does to cook the caramel, so the almonds are over-toasted, or perhaps your candy thermometer is off by a few degrees, so the sugar cooked too much. There are a lot of variables and even a few minutes or a few degrees can give very different outcomes. If you do decide to do it again, I would change a few things just to be safe. Use pre-toasted almonds so they’re already crunchy, and keep them at 300 instead of 350–the most important thing is that they’re hot when you add them, so 300 should heat them up without overcooking them. Caramel usually doesn’t smoke if it’s at 310 F (when I make caramel candies I take it to 350 without problems) so try to keep your caramel on the lower side of the recommendation, and maybe test to make sure your thermometer is accurate before starting again. Here’s an easy way to check your thermometer:
http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ht/How-To-Test-Your-Candy-Thermometer.htm
And finally, are you at high altitude? If you are, you will definitely need to make adjustments in the temperature of your caramel so you don’t overcook it.
Oh, one other thing I thought of. If you’re near a Trader Joe’s, they carry a product called honey-roasted sliced almonds. They’re basically sliced almonds with a crunchy, sweet coating already on them. Like a cheater’s version of caramelized almonds. You can use those if you don’t want to go to the trouble of re-making them! Not quite the same but a pretty good substitute.
Thank you. Unfortunately I won’t be the one enjoying this cake- it is for my husband for his birthday. I am weird, and don’t eat anything with gelatin in it. lol. Oh, and we are not at a high altitude, or near a trader joe’s. So, I may ask a few opinions if of friends who can taste test them, and go from there. Thanks for all the input! 🙂