Almond Confetti Cake
The classic vanilla cake base of this charming, bento-inspired miniature cake is speckled with cheery rainbow sprinkles and topped with a velvety almond-flavored Swiss meringue buttercream. Using a reverse-creaming method and a slightly lower baking temperature will help to reduce doming, ensuring you get to keep as much height (and delicious cake) as possible, even after leveling.
Almond Confetti Cake
Servings 1 (6-inch) cake
Ingredients
1¾ cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder½ teaspoon kosher salt½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened½ cup (120 grams) whole milk, room temperature2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract½ cup (85 grams) rainbow jimmiesAlmond Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows)Garnish: rainbow jimmies, white nonpareils
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Lightly spray 2 (6-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt by hand. Add butter; using the paddle attachment, beat at low speed until butter is incorporated and mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add about half of milk mixture to flour mixture. Slowly increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add remaining milk mixture, beating until combined and stopping to scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Fold in jimmies until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans (about 1¾ cups or 415 grams each). Using a small offset spatula, spread batter into an even layer.
Bake until golden brown, a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 200°F (93°C) to 205°F (96°C), 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Level cooled cake layers, if desired. Place 1 cake layer on a cake board or serving platter. Spread ¾ cup (140 grams) Almond Swiss Meringue Buttercream onto cake layer, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining buttercream on top and sides of cake, and garnish with jimmies and nonpareils, if desired. Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes before serving. If refrigerating for longer than 1 hour, let cake stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Almond Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Servings 4.5 cups
Ingredients
6 large egg whites (180 grams)1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar2 cups (454 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and softened1 teaspoon almond extract½ teaspoon kosher salt½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and sugar by hand. Heat over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking frequently, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F (71°C), about 2 minutes.
Carefully return bowl to stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat at high speed until thickened and cooled to room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes. With mixer on medium-high speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time, beating until combined after each addition. With mixer on medium speed, beat in almond extract, salt, and vanilla. Beat until buttercream comes together and is thickened. (Buttercream may look curdled at first, but keep mixing and it will soon emulsify.) Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week; when ready to use, let come to room temperature, and beat in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at high speed until fluffy.
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