If you’re ever in need of a special cake, I’m here with a very strong contender. Whether you’re baking for a birthday, shower, or holiday celebration, this Almond Layer Cake has got you covered. It’s fluffy and flavorful and best of all, it’s versatile. It can be filled with almost any filling, since almond (like vanilla) pairs well with most fruit flavors.
A hundred years ago (at least it seems that way), when my oldest daughter, Andrea, was just a little chickie, she played the Partridge in her preschool’s rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas. They practiced the song several times a day in the weeks leading up to the show.
It still makes me smile when I think of the pride in her little face as she proudly held up her partridge sign right on cue each time that the song counted down to “….and a partridge in a pear tree”. Never in the history of preschool Christmas shows will there ever be a more timely little partridge. To this day, it’s all I think about when I hear that song. Needless to say, this cake was inspired by her.
Since she loves almond, I chose that flavor for the cake layers. This cake is fluffy, light, and aromatic. It’s absolutely delicious. It goes well with many different fillings, but this time, pear seemed appropriate.
Side note: Partridges are actually ground birds that don’t fly well. They would never be found high up in a pear tree. But, we can pretend for the sake of the song and this cake. It turns out, by the way, that the song is filled with Christian symbolism. It makes much more sense since I realized that. I mean, the thought of giving your true love eight maids-a-milking is just bizarre.
Back to the filling. It’s really tasty…similar to apple pie filling. To make it, I peeled, chopped, and cooked down some pears with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until the pears were soft. Then, I thickened it with cornstarch to make sure it wasn’t too runny for the cake layers. To keep things simpler, feel free to substitute your favorite fruit filling or store-bought preserves.
This frosting is meringue buttercream flavored with almond and it’s heavenly. It does take a little more effort than regular buttercream, but the silky smooth end result is so worth it. To fill the cake, I made a dam around each layer with the buttercream. This helps keep the fruit filling in place.
I really love the pear filling together with the almond flavors in this cake. I realized after the fact, though, that both tiers should have three cake layers. This time, only my top one has three cake layers. The bottom, which is the one pictured toward the end of this post, only has two. I think the cake to fruit filling ratio would be better balanced with three layers in order to have more fruit in each bite. So, the recipe is written that way below.
Since I had a very specific theme in mind, I chose to decorate this cake using store-bought fondant and cookie cutters in pear and bird shapes. It’s no different than rolling and cutting out playdough. Use any fondant shapes you like or just skip the fondant cut-outs and use the meringue buttercream to both frost and decorate. It’s smooth and easy to work with.
I decorated the bottom tier with an edible image sheet in a wintry theme. The adorable ‘partridge in a pear tree’ topper is made out of cardstock. Both items are from awesome Etsy shop, KeyLimeParty.
I’m hoping you like this Almond Layer Cake as much as I do. It’s perfect for any special occasion. Just fill it with your favorite fruity filling and enjoy!
To my not-so-little, twenty-something year old…you’ll always be my little partridge. Thank you for inspiring me. My heart still feels the same joy and proud mama love as it did all those years ago watching your little self sing this song. Waiting for you with cake xo.
Almond Layer Cake with Pear Filling
A fluffy, aromatic, and delicious almond cake filled with cinnamon pear filling and frosted with silky almond meringue buttercream.
Almond Cake
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 large whole egg, room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature (to be divided in recipe)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used clear vanilla extract)
- 3 cups cake flour, sifted or whisked
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Pear Filling
- 6 pears peeled, cored, and chopped small (I used Bosc pears)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water, warmed
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Almond Meringue Buttercream
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large egg whites
- 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used clear vanilla extract)
Almond Cake
This recipe yields enough cake batter for one (3 layer) 6-inch or 8-inch cake. If making a two tier cake as I have, either double the cake recipe or make it twice.
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Using nonstick spray, grease three 6-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine egg whites, whole egg, 1/4 cup of the milk (the rest to be added later), almond and vanilla extracts. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine all the dry ingredients together on low speed for 30 seconds.
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Add the butter pieces one at a time, about every 10 seconds, ensuring it’s kept cold. Continue to mix on low just until the mixture is a fine, crumbly texture. Add remaining milk, and mix on low speed for 4-5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches, mixing until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Fold once or twice to ensure the batter at the bottom is well incorporated.
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Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, spreading the tops gently until smooth.
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Bake for about 30 minutes or until cake tester/toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs when inserted into the center. Begin checking cake at the 20 minute mark to avoid overbaking. Note: If baking in three 8-inch pans, cake may be done sooner.
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Let cakes cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, loosen sides with small metal spatula or butter knife and invert onto greased wire racks (I use cooking spray). Remove parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
Pear Filling
There is no need to double this pear filling as it is enough for a two tier cake, like the one I made.
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Place chopped pears, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in medium saucepan. Stir gently and bring to a quick boil.
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Decrease heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes or until pears are soft.
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In a small bowl, combine warm water and cornstarch until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture to pears in saucepan. Increase heat to high to bring to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds to thicken. Then, turn off and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling cake. If making filling ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.
Almond Meringue Buttercream
This meringue buttercream recipe yields enough buttercream to frost and decorate one 6-inch or one 8-inch cake. Double the recipe if making two tiers.
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Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.
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Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5-7 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
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On medium speed, add in almond and vanilla. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the buttercream bowl and set aside briefly (if not using right away).
Cake Assembly
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Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice the domed tops off of each cake layer. Place first layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
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Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, lightly frost the top of the first cake layer with buttercream. Then, place some buttercream into a piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe a ring of buttercream in a circle along the outer edge of the cake, creating a dam. Fill center evenly with the fruit filling. I used about 1/2 cup between each layer.
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Place second cake on top of of first later cut side up and repeat step 2. Place final third layer on top with cut side down. Press down gently on cake top.
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Using a metal spatula, apply a thin layer of buttercream on top and sides of cake to create a crumb coat. Place in refrigerator for 15 -20 minutes to set. Remove from refrigerator and apply second buttercream coat. Smooth sides and top using metal spatula or pastry bench scraper. Place back in refrigerator for another 15-20 minutes.
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Decorate with fondant cut-outs or pipe buttercream around cake edge using a star decorating tip set inside a piping bag.
If using dark gray or black cake pans, cake will bake faster. Reduce baking time accordingly.
If making a two tier stacked cake as I have, make sure to use supportive wooden dowels or smoothie straws (cut the same height as your bottom tier) in your bottom cake before placing the smaller one on top.
I tend to be a bit weary of baking recipes on blogs. I came across this recipe when looking for a cake for my son’s first birthday (he loves almond [butter] and pears). I didn’t find any other layer cake recipes containing both ingredients. This cake is absolutely delicious. The recipe is perfectly written and I honestly wouldn’t change anything. If you follow the instructions exactly, you’ll have no problems. Everyone loved the cake. I will definitely be saving the recipe and make again.
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