Bob The Baker Boy Best Flavour

[Jomega Gibson]

ThisVanilla Almond bakery-style cake is extra-moist and tender, with a buttery, almond flavor. It pairs perfectly with my creamy Vanilla Almond Buttercream. This was by far my most popular cake flavor at Amycakes Bakery and the most requested recipe!

I think the surprising part about this cake is the texture--it is soft and light, and yet rich and moist all at the same time. Plus the extra buttery almond flavor really sets it apart from a typical white cake or vanilla cake.

Instant Clearjel allows the cake to retain more moisture. Instant Clearjel, my number one favorite secret bakery ingredient is made up of just one ingredient (modified cornstarch). It provides an extra soft and moist texture, and it is also necessary for the structure of the cake. If you're in a pinch you can look into my recommended Instant Clearjel Substitutes.

I use an imitation almond extract, but you can absolutely use Pure Almond Extract if you want to. I started using imitation almond extract because it is not made with nuts and is safe for guests with nut allergies to eat. The one I use is McCormicks Culinary Imitation Almond Extract. I like the flavor, and as a bonus, it's a more affordable option when we're using 1 Tablespoon in this cake!

For the buttercreams frosting, I highly recommend a pure vanilla extract. You just can't beat pure vanilla, especially in items that aren't going to be baked, or recipes that vanilla is the main or only flavor.

Since the price of pure vanilla has skyrocketed in the past few years, I keep a Vanilla Blend (a mix of pure vanilla and vanillin) on hand for cakes or products that will be baked. I've found that my cake recipes are just as delicious with a more affordable vanilla blend in the batter, and I save my pricey Pure Vanilla for my buttercream where you can really taste the difference.*

*One of my favorite extract makers, Olive Nation has provided Amycakes Bakes readers with a coupon code--Use AB20 for 20% off your extract purchases through Olive Nation. Since I go through a lot of extracts, I like to order their extracts in bulk and pour them into Mini Bottles.

I like to use prep bowls to measure out all my ingredients before I start, but even just having the unmeasured ingredients lined out in order of when you need them will mean you're off to a great start! You can watch me complete every step in the video in my recipe below.

You can also bake this cake in two 8" rounds pans, four 6" round pans, or a 9x13 sheet cake pan-- you may just need to adjust the baking time. You can choose from other pan options in the chart at the bottom of my article Half-Batches and Cake Pans: Everything You Need to Know.

There is enough buttercream in this recipe to lightly or fully-ice the cake and top it with some extra-tall buttercream rosettes on top. This buttercream is stable enough that you can use it to pipe and decorate with any design that you choose.

Hi! I am really excited to try your recipe, because I can't seem to make a vanilla/almond cake that is amazing! I would prefer to bake the cake in rounds, and I only have 9" round pans. Will this recipe have enough batter for 2 9" rounds? I feel like it will, but might be a little on the thin side? Thanks for your help!

Hi Heidi, two 9" pans in a 1x batch will be on the thinner side and make a very short layer cake (I usually recommend 3 9" pans for a 2x batch), but it would still taste delicious--you'd just want to keep an eye on the cakes in the oven since the baking time will be different. ?

Amazing!! Moist & great flavor. I made it for my daughters birthday. I quadrupled the recipe to make 2 (13x18 inch) cakes with a layer of buttercream in the middle. I did have to double the buttercream for this recipe as well. All the guests raved about it. Would definitely make again!

I'd recommend using a nut-free imitation almond extract if it is a nut allergy. The one I use (and used in my bakery) is linked in the recipe card. (Though it's always best to double-check with the manufacturer for allergies). If you'd prefer to not use almond, you can substitute the almond extract with vanilla extract for a vanilla cake flavor, similar to my vanilla bean cake or golden vanilla cake. ?

I have never tried that! I wouldn't expect it to work the same, since the instant clearjel allows the vanilla almond cake to contain more moisture without getting heavy, so it adds stability to the cake.

Hi Amy,

I'm going to be trying this recipe for making a large number of cakelets. In doing so, I'll need to make 2, 1/2 sheet pan cakes in order to get the number of cakelets I need. With that, I see you recommend freezing the cake in the pan. This may be a stupid question but will I get the same results freezing out of the pan. I need to take this approach because I have limited space in my freezer and the pan won't fit but the cake will.

One last question, if I chose not to use cream cheese, how would you adjust the frosting?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide!

Hi David! You can remove the cake from the pans before freezing, but it will be delicate at room temperature. Perhaps you can let it get cold in the fridge, and then cut the cake in half and freeze those 1/4 sheet-size cakes. Once the cake is frozen, you can cut the rounds for the cakelets and keep them in an airtight container--that's what I did with my mini red velvet cakes! ? I haven't tried my bakery buttercream recipe without cream cheese in it, I'm sorry! You might like the buttercream in my decorated sugar cookies, which is delicious, does not contain cream cheese, and can be left out of the fridge for longer than the vanilla bakery buttercream. Hope that helps! ?

Thank you Cheryl, so glad you've enjoyed the recipes! I haven't tried this with a coconut substitute, but I have tried it with extra vanilla. I think adding the emulsion to taste sounds like it could be delicious! If you have luck with it, let me know! ?

hello Amy.

this flavor and cake is wonderful! I wanted thicker layered cake so I used a 8x3 in round cake pan instead of 8x2 in. I used 2 8x3 pans but the center never seemed to bake correct and it sunk a little. it was also very dense and looked soggy on the bottom. since going to a 8x3 in should I reduce the recipe? and make it into 1 cake?

Hi Samantha! Thanks for checking! With my cake recipes (because they are so moist), they bake more evenly (and less likely to sink) with less batter in each cake pan. If you were doing a 2x batch, I recommend in my cake pan chart dividing that into four 8" cake pans. I layer my 3 & 4 layer cakes with less buttercream in between each layer to make a similar cake/frosting ratio to thicker 2-layer cakes. Hope that helps!

This cake was absolutely amazing. My sister and I made this cake for a graduation and we were all amazed how wonderful it tasted. We followed the directions and did not change one thing. The cake was moist and had a wonderful flavor. It is definitely a keeper and I would make it again.

Thank you so much for your comment, Shirin! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the vanilla almond cake recipe! I haven't tried this recipe with cake flour, but it might work out fine to substitute. This cake flour article has some recommendations, including adding 2 Tbsp extra cake flour per cup when substituting. If you have any luck with it, let me know! ?

Let me start by saying, Wow. I mean, Wow. To be upfront, I was searching for a pineapple upside down cake recipe. It was important to me that it be very moist. I read over your recipe and I thought I would try it. I love how you explain the importance of being delicate on putting all the ingredients together very carefully because it really matters. You gave knowledgeable advice that helped me out. -Placing my oven rack up a little higher and baking at 325 instead of 350. This will be my go-to cake recipe. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much, JoDee! So happy to hear you enjoyed the vanilla almond recipe! ? Unfortunately, I haven't perfected a gluten-free cake recipe or version yet--it's something I'd love to be able to provide in the future!

Thank you for your wonderful comment, Rebecca! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and liked the cut and stack method with the vanilla almond cake! It's been such a game-changer in my baking! ?

Hi Amy- thank you for posting your cakes!! I am about to try my first one but had a question. I was comparing the cook times for the single and double batches and I noticed that they are the same. Is that correct?

Hi Chrissy! That's correct, the range of time is meant to cover both sizes (The double batch typically just takes about 3 minutes longer for me). Some have said that their cakes take a bit longer in their ovens than my oven, so I always recommend checking the cake frequently towards the end of baking and adjusting as needed, and checking several areas of the cake for doneness with the toothpick/paring knife test. ?

LOVE!! your cake recipes! The first one I made was the chocolate and I couldn't stop eating the scraps...and I'm not normally a chocolate cake fan. I also made this almond cake...I'm curious about the Apple Cider Vinegar. I could taste it in the cake...no one else could but I'm a little sensitive to it. Is there a substitute for this?

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake recipe! ? The apple cider vinegar shouldn't add any flavor to this vanilla almond cake, and is just used to boost the rise slightly. Since you are sensitive to it, I'd recommend just leaving it out. ?

Such a great recipe! My cake was a little on the mushy side on the bottom after being frozen (I followed the directions of sprayed parchment). Any ideas as to why? I'm wondering if it wasn't completely cooled when I put it in the freezer. Thanks for sharing your recipes!!

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm not sure why it would be mushy on the bottom--it could be that it was slightly underdone (I like to check my sheet pan by poking with a paring knife on several areas to make sure it's done throughout). Or yes I could see it being affected if it was warm when wrapping and freezing. I don't think the sprayed parchment would affect it as I do that with all my cakes (I do a very light spray on the bottom, so I'll add that note in my future recipes). ?

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