Italian Cream Cake

Italian Cream cakes are generally made with pecans, a nut which I do not like. I make mine with almonds and almond extract, and which make all the difference for me. This, along with “The Best Chocolate Cake Ever,” (also on this site) is one of my two favorite cakes.

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• Cooking spray

• 2 teaspoons cake flour

• ⅓ cup butter, softened

• 1 ¼ cup sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 cup cake flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk

• ¼ cup finely chopped toasted almonds, plus more unchopped for the top of the cake

• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 6 egg whites

For the Frosting:

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 1 cup butter at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 - 5 tablespoons whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Coat bottoms of 2 9" round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons of flour.

3. Place ⅓ cup butter in bowl of mixer. Cream at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir with whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in almonds and both extracts.

5. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter, pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes on wire rack. Loosen cake layers and remove from pan. Cool completely.

6. For frosting, cream butter and sugar together until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat for 1 more minute, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency. Frost cake, then sprinkle almonds on top.