Old Fashioned Wedding Cake Recipe

For a small DIY wedding, a classic almond wedding cake that's soft, moist and fluffy is sure to please everyone. The white almond cake is velvety and tender, and the cake is frosted with fluffy almond buttercream. A delicate white chocolate rose makes a stunning presentation. This gorgeous two-tiered cake is perfect for any special occasion!

A two-tiered almond wedding cake with a white chocolate rose.

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Why You'll Love This Cake

If the recipe for this almond wedding cake seems familiar, it's because it's based on my popular white velvet cake . With cake flour and buttermilk, the cake is impossibly soft, tender, buttery and velvety, with the most beautiful melt-in-your mouth crumb. Almond extract in the cake batter and buttercream gives the cake a classic wedding cake flavor. And assembled in two tiers with 8-inch and 6-inch layers makes a special presentation for a wedding, engagement, anniversary or other special occasion.

Making your own wedding cake is more popular than ever. A wedding is a day you'll always cherish, and a small, intimate gathering with just family and a few close friends in attendance deserves a gorgeous and delicious cake. My diy almond wedding cake is modestly-sized for a two-tiered cake, and doesn't even require the use of supports or dowels, so don't be intimated. Assembling the cake requires nothing more than simply stacking, filling and frosting the layers.

Ingredients

White Almond Cake

Unsalted Butter. Adds fat and richness to the cake, for a moist and flavorful cake.
Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture.
Vanilla + Almond Extracts. I used vanilla bean paste , and love the little black specks. You can use vanilla extract , too. Use a good-quality almond extract for the best flavor.
Egg Whites. Adds protein and structure to the cake, while using only whites keeps the cake a beautiful white color.
Cake Flour. The lower percentage of gluten in cake flour makes a lighter, more tender cake.
Baking Powder. Leavens the cake to make it rise.
Salt. Balances the sweetness.
Buttermilk. Adds moisture and acidity for a soft, tender cake crumb.

Almond Buttercream

Unsalted Butter. Adds fat and richness.
Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
Meringue Powder. Adds stability and improves the texture.
Salt. Balances the sweetness.
Vanilla + Almond Extracts. I used vanilla bean paste , and love the little black specks. You can use vanilla extract , too. Use a good-quality almond extract for the best flavor.
Milk. Thins the buttercream for desired consistency for spreading or piping.

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray the bottoms of your cake pans with non-stick spray.For the tiered cake shown in this post, you'll need two 8-inch pans and two 6-inch pans. Alternatively, you can bake this cake in three 8-inch cake pans for a single-tiered cake.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for 10 minutes on medium speed (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer), scraping the bowl occasionally.
Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Beat in the egg whites, one at a time, beating each for 10 seconds before adding the next. Scrape the bowl down and beat for 10 more seconds.
In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl well and incorporate any stray bits of flour.
Divide the batter between the pans. You should divide the batter by scooping 2 cups into each of the 8-inch pans, 1 cup into each of the 6-inch pans, and then evenly dividing any leftover batter between the four pans.Bake on the center oven rack for about 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Set the pans on a wire rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt and mix until combined.
Add the vanilla, almond extract and milk (as needed for desired consistency), increase the speed to medium (#4/6 on a Kitchen Aid Mixer) and whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy.

Slices of almond wedding cake on white plates.

How to Assemble a Tiered Cake

When assembling tiered cakes, you usually need to have a support system of cake boards and dowels between each tier, to ensure the cakes don't collapse on each other. But my diy wedding cake is a petite cake, as far as tiered cakes go, and supports aren't necessary. Assembling this cake is no different from assembling a 4-layer cake.

Carefully remove the cooled cakes from the pans. Place one of the 8-inch cakes on a cake board. It's helpful to use a cake decorating turn table for assembling and frosting your cake. Frost the top of the cake with a layer of buttercream. Top with the 2nd 8-inch cake and frost all over with a very thin "crumb coat" of buttercream.
Center one of the 6-inch cakes on top. Frost the top of the cake with a layer of buttercream. Top with the 2nd 6-inch cake and frost all over with a very thin "crumb coat" of buttercream.
Place the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Frost the cake all over with a pretty, swirly layer of buttercream. It doesn't need to look perfect – the random swoops and swirls are what make this cake so gorgeous.

Making the White Chocolate Rose

The gorgeous rose on the cake is made of white chocolate, so it tastes as delicious as it is lovely. To make the rose, I followed this video tutorial by Ann Reardon . Her explanation is very clear, and I loved how delicate and realistic the finished flower looked. I've listed a few pros and cons to this flower making technique, but the pros definitely win.

Pros.

The finished flower looks incredibly realistic and makes a gorgeous cake topper.
You can use either white chocolate or candy melts, and both are so much tastier than flowers made out of fondant or gum paste.
The petals are paper thin, so the chocolate hardens very quickly, making for a quick project.
The flower is food-safe, completely edible, and tastes great.
You don't need any special tools.
You can make the flower in advance, and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to place it on your cake.

Cons.

The petals are delicate since they're paper thin. You have to handle them gently, so make a few extra in case you break any while assembling the flower.
The outer petals were very quick and easy to make, but the smaller inner ones, which the tutorial shows being easily removed from a rolled up piece of parchment paper gave me trouble. I just couldn't get them out of the paper without breaking them. I suggest just making a smaller version of the first petal type, for the center of the flower.
To assemble the flower, you're layering the petals from the outer layer to the middle layer, holding them together with melted chocolate. Because the petals are so thin, I found that the heat from the warm chocolate would start to melt my petals a bit as I was putting my flower together. This wasn't a big deal, and as you can see, it still turned out great. But I did put the flower in the fridge several times throughout the process to keep it cool, before I added more layers of petals.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading my comprehensive post on making Perfect American Buttercream.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between white cake and wedding cake?

A white cake is typically more delicate and spongy, almost like an angel food cake. A wedding cake is a white cake also made with egg whites, but contains butter for a richer, slightly more dense, velvety texture. Almond is a classic flavor for white wedding cakes.

How far in advance can you bake a wedding cake?

Both the cake layers and the buttercream can be made in advance, wrapped well and frozen separately for 3-6 months.
Once you've frosted and assembled the cake, you can store it in an airtight container or cake carrier and freeze it for up to 2 weeks. Thaw out the frozen cake in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then let come to room temperature for 5-6 hours before serving.

Is it safe to put real flowers on a cake?

Yes, it's perfectly fine to decorate a cake with real flowers, with a few precautions. Make sure that the flowers you use are clean, non-toxic, and free of pesticides. You should also wrap the stems in floral tape before inserting them into the cake.

How do you get your white cake so white?

Using only egg whites without the yolks keeps the cake nice and white. And although this is a butter-based cake, which can add a yellow tint to cakes, creaming the butter with the sugar for a full 10 minutes lightens the color of the butter.

How do I make a white buttercream?

All-butter buttercream will always have an ivory, yellowish tint. For a whiter buttercream, substitute vegetable shortening for half of the butter.

Is your almond cake for high altitude?

Yes, I test all of my cake recipes at Denver's high altitude of 5,280 feet.
See the recipe notes for adjustments for sea level / low altitude.

Do I need to use cake flour?

For the softest, lightest, most tender cake, you need to use cake flour, not all-purpose flour.

What if I don't have buttermilk?

Whole buttermilk is rich, creamy and acidic, making a moist and tender cake. In a pinch, you can make sour milk with 2 1/2 cups of whole milk and 2 1/2 tbsp white distilled vinegar. Stir together and let sit for 15 minutes to let it curdle. Instead of vinegar, you can also use lemon juice; the flavor of the lemon will be very subtle in the baked cake.

A slice of almond wedding cake with one bite taken.

Pink champagne cake with sparkling sugar and piped swirls of buttercream. — Pink Champagne Cake

A white chocolate cake with drip and white chocolate truffles, on a silver mirrored cake stand. — Pink Champagne Cake

Favorite Products

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A two-tiered almond wedding cake with a white chocolate rose.

Almond Wedding Cake

Almond wedding cake for a diy wedding, that's soft, moist and fluffy, frosted with almond buttercream.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet.

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Stand Mixer with Paddle and Whisk Attachments
8-inch cake pans (2)
6-inch cake pans (2)

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tbsp almond extract
6 large egg whites, room temperature
3 ¼ cups cake flour, spooned and leveled
3 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
2 ½ cups whole buttermilk, room temperature

Buttercream

2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp meringue powder
¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract
2-4 tbsp whole milk

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray the bottoms of your cake pans with non-stick spray.

For the tiered cake shown in this post, you'll need two 8-inch pans and two 6-inch pans. Alternatively, you can bake this cake in three 8-inch cake pans for a single-tiered cake.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for 10 minutes on medium speed (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer), scraping the bowl occasionally.
Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Beat in the egg whites, one at a time, beating each for 10 seconds before adding the next. Scrape the bowl down and beat for 10 more seconds.
In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl well and incorporate any stray bits of flour.
Divide the batter between the pans. You should divide the batter by scooping 2 cups into each of the 8-inch pans, 1 cup into each of the 6-inch pans, and then evenly dividing any leftover batter between the four pans.

Bake on the center oven rack for about 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Set the pans on a wire rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt and mix until combined.
Add the vanilla, almond extract and milk (as needed for desired consistency), increase the speed to medium (#4/6 on a Kitchen Aid Mixer) and whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy.

Assembly

Carefully remove the cooled cakes from the pans. Place one of the 8-inch cakes on a cake board. It's helpful to use a cake decorating turn table for assembling and frosting your cake.

Frost the top of the cake with a layer of buttercream. Top with the 2nd 8-inch cake and frost all over with a very thin "crumb coat" of buttercream.
Center one of the 6-inch cakes on top. (There's no need to use dowels or supports, since this is a pretty petite cake as far as tiered cakes go.)

Frost the top of the cake with a layer of buttercream. Top with the 2nd 6-inch cake and frost all over with a very thin "crumb coat" of buttercream.
Place the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Frost the cake all over with a pretty, swirly layer of buttercream. It doesn't need to look perfect – the random swoops and swirls are what make this cake so gorgeous.

Optional:

Using all butter in the buttercream will make an ivory buttercream. If you want a brighter white buttercream (as pictured in this post), substitute vegetable shortening for half of the butter.
For even more almond flavor and a little crunch, try adding a handful of finely chopped almonds in between each layer of cake.
To make the white chocolate rose, see this video tutorial by Ann Reardon . Place the rose on the cake before the buttercream crusts over, so that the buttercream acts as "glue" to adhere the flower.
If placing real flowers on your cake, be sure they are clean, non-toxic and pesticide free. Wrap the stems in floral tape before inserting them into your cake.

Storage and Making Ahead:

Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container or cake carrier for up to 3 days.
If baking, decorating and assembling the cake in advance, place the entire assembled cake in a cake box or airtight cake carrier. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Sea Level Ingredient Adjustments (tested by a baker in Ohio):

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
6 egg whites, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cake Ingredients by Weight:

1 cup unsalted butter = 8 oz / 227 g
2 cups granulated sugar = 15 oz / 425 g
6 large egg whites = 6.6 oz / 190 g
3 1/4 cups cake flour = 13 oz / 368 g
3 1/2 tsp baking powder = 13 g
2 1/2 cups buttermilk = 20 oz / 567 g

Keyword Almond, Cake, High Altitude Cake, Wedding