CAKE - Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cake with Amaretto Buttercream

By Aemelia

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 3 c. cake flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
• 2 and 1/3 c. sugar
• 3 large egg whites, room temp.
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 and 1/2 c. buttermilk, room temp.
• Amaretto Buttercream:
• 3 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 c. sugar
• 6 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 TBSP. amaretto

Preparation

Step 1

CAKE:
Place oven racks on the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 350. Line the bottom of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the pans and coat with flour.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs whites, vanilla bean past and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low, until combined. Add half the buttermilk, beat until combined. Continue alternating ingredients, ending with the flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.

Spoon the batter into prepared pans. Place 2 pans on the top rack and the third on the bottom rack. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (The pans may be done at different times.)

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the cooling racks and cool completely.


Rich Amaretto Buttercream:
Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, whip the eggs and yolks on high speed for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Simmer until the mixture registers between 234-240 degrees (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour the mixture into a heatproof measuring cup with a spout. With the mixer on low, add the sugar mixture to the eggs in a slow, thin stream. Increase the speed to medium and beat about 7 minutes, until the syrup has cooled. (The bowl should be barely warm.)

Add the butter, a half stick at a time, and beat on medium speed about 30 seconds after each addition. After all of the butter has been added, beat on medium speed for 3 additional minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the salt and amaretto.