Berry Almond Cake Recipe (video)
A delicate and fluffy almond cake made with German buttercream and loads of berries! This Berry Almond Cake is made with almond flour and almond extract, an almond-flavored custard buttercream, chocolate ganache for garnish and summer berries such as strawberries, blueberries and even cherries! The perfect spring or summer berry cake, great for any occasion! Also, try this recipe as cupcakes!
My Berry Almond Cake Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions, showing you how to make this amazing almond berry cake! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Almond Berry Cake
You’ll love this delicate and delicious almond cake filled with berries! Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Almond Flour: I like to use a combination of almond flour (affiliate link) and all-purpose flour to make a stabilized yet light cake layer.
- Almond Extract: I flavor the cake with almond extract (affiliate link) to add just the right amount of almond flavor. You can also add amaretto liqueur into the cake batter or even into the frosting.
- Eggs, Butter, Vanilla, Whole Milk: the wet ingredients for the cake layers. Have the eggs, butter and whole milk at room temperature.
- All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar, Salt: the dry ingredients you’ll need for th cake batter.
- Whole Milk, Egg Yolks, Sugar & Unsalted Butter: ingredients for making the German buttercream frosting.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate & Heavy Cream: for making the chocolate ganache for garnishing the cake.
- Berries & Fruit: I used a combination of blueberries, strawberries and cherries for this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite berries here, too!
How to Make Berry Almond Cake
I love this delicate almond cake layers combined with the creamy buttercream and berries! It’s an easy cake to put together! Start by preparing the cake layers first.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line two, 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans with parchment paper. Place the sugar and butter into a mixer bowl and whisk on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the mixing bowl often, until the butter if fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the eggs, then whisk again for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the milk into the cake batter without stirring, then set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the cake batter, then use a hand whisk to mix the flour in. Mix the flour for about 1 minute, just until the flour is incorporated; don’t over mix the batter.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans and bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool completely before assembling the cake.
Assembling the Berry Cake
Once you have the cake layers baking, prepare the frosting.
- While the cake layers are cooling, prepare the pastry cream needed for the German buttercream. It needs to cool before being used; this can be prepared ahead of time, too. Make a batch of my frosting next.
- To assemble the cake, first spread a generous amount of frosting onto the first layer, then add a few handfuls of berries. Press the berries gently into the buttercream, then top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare a batch of my ‘Chocolate Ganache’. I have a separate video recipe for the ganache so make sure to check it out! Allow it to cool down before using, otherwise it will slide off the cake.
- Pour the ganache over the top and sides of the cake, then garnish with more buttercream. I use a French star tip; number 4FT. Add the remaining fruits and/or berries on top. Refrigerate the cake if not serving immediately.
Creamy German Buttercream Frosting
Because the cake layers for this recipe are very fluffy and delicate, I wanted to go with an equally delicate buttercream. If you’ve never had German buttercream, you’re in for a treat! It’s made with a vanilla pastry cream or custard, which is slowly added to whipped butter. If desired, the pastry cream can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to be used. It’s very creamy, fluffy and perfect for decorating cakes and cupcakes! For this recipe, I add a touch of almond extract to add more almond flavor. I have a separate video recipe for this buttercream recipe; check out it
Adding More Almond Flavor!
To add even more almond flavor, try these tips: prior to frosting the cake, soak the layers lightly with an almond syrup or amaretto (almond liqueur) diluted with water; add finely diced almonds into the cake batter for a crunch factor; add sliced almonds onto the cake along with the berries.
More Recipes!
Looking for more cakes or almond flavored desserts? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- ‘Blackberry Almond Frangipan’ – an almond and berry tart with an almond, blackberry and lemon filling!
- ‘Blueberry Cake with Crumble’ – easy blueberry cake loaded with blueberries, topped with an oat crumble topping. Plus, blueberry whipped cream frosting!
- ‘Very Berry Bundt Cake’ – quick and easy berry cake with tons of berries! It’s super moist and delicious!
- Maple Berry Cake – no sugar in this cake recipe, just pure maple syrup! With mascarpone whipped cream frosting and loads of berries!
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Berry Almond Cake Recipe (video)
Delicate almond cake made with almond flour, whipped cream and mixed berries!
Ingredients
For Almond Cake Layers:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups fresh berries or chopped fruit, for filling
For German Buttercream:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp
For Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For Almond Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line two, 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans with parchment paper. Place the sugar and butter into a mixer bowl and whisk on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the mixing bowl often, until the butter if fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the eggs, then whisk again for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the milk into the cake batter without stirring, then set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the cake batter, then use a hand whisk to mix the flour in. Mix the flour for about 1 minute, just until the flour is incorporated; don’t over mix the batter.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans and bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool completely before assembling the cake.
- While the cake layers are cooling, prepare the pastry cream needed for the German buttercream. It needs to cool before being used; this can be prepared ahead of time, too.
Assembling the Cake:
- To assemble the cake, first spread a generous amount of frosting onto the first layer, then add a few handfuls of berries. Press the berries gently into the buttercream, then top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Prepare the chocolate ganache and allow it to cool down before using, otherwise it will slide off the cake.
- Pour the ganache over the top and sides of the cake, then garnish with more buttercream. I use a French star tip; number 4FT. Add the remaining fruits and/or berries on top. Refrigerate the cake if not serving immediately.
Making German Buttercream:
- Place the milk and flour into a medium saucepan. Whisk the flour in until no clumps remain. If using a vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and add the seeds and pod into the milk. Cook the milk over medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the milk is steaming hot but not boiling. Remove the vanilla bean and scrap out the seeds with a knife and add the seeds to the milk, discarding the pod. Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is thick and pale and ribbons off of the whisk. In a small ramekin, combine the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the egg yolk mixture and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Once the milk is hot, slowly temper the milk into the egg yolks. Add a little at a time and whisk well after each addition. Once the two mixtures have been combined, pour the custard base back into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Custard is ready when it holds its shape on the back of the spatula. Avoid cooking over high heat; this can cause the custard to separate. Remove the custard from heat and add the 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract. Whisk the butter into the hot custard until it’s completely melted. Cover the custard with plastic wrap touching the surface, to prevent a film from forming on top. Refrigerate the custard until completely cooled, then use as a filling or for the custard buttercream.
- For the buttercream. first beat the softened 1 cup butter on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy. Begin adding the cooled custard, a few tablespoons at a time, and whisk on medium speed after each addition. After adding the last few tablespoons, whisk for just 30 seconds. If desired, add an additional 1 cup confectioner's sugar to sweeten the frosting.
Making Chocolate Ganache:
- Heat the heavy cream on the stove top or in a microwave-safe glass bowl/cup. Cream should be steaming hot but not boiling. Add the chocolate chips and allow the chips to sit for a few minutes, melting. Then, using a spoon, stir the chocolate and cream together until smooth. If not all of the chocolate chips melt, heat the glaze in microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring after each time. If glaze is too thick, add HOT heavy cream. Do not thin out the glaze with cold cream as this will cause the chocolate to seize! Allow the glaze to cool for a few minutes if it’s too hot, then pour over your cake, pouring from the center and spreading to the edges with a spatula. Alternatively, transfer the glaze into a pastry bag and drizzle down sides first, then fill center.
Nutrition
Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 976IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 2mg
Hi Tatyana,
I made this cake today and it seemed dense to me. I cut the recipe in half since it was my first try making this beauty. I’m not sure if that had to do with anything. Do you have any tricks to making sure the cake doesn’t become dense?
Thank you
Hi Becky! I’m sorry that the recipe didn’t turn out well. It should be fairly light and fluffy. Here are a few tips: make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired, otherwise the cake will be flatter and denser. Don’t overmix the dry ingredients; whisk just until combined. You can also try reducing the butter. The cake will still turn out well but less moist and heavy. Hope that helps!