This post is sponsored by Domino® Sugar. All opinions are my own.
White almond cake has always been a favorite of mine because it is so delicate, pure and elegant. I tend bake it for special occasions since it’s a bit more fancy than an everyday yellow cake. So when my friends at Domino® Sugar asked me to try their new golden sugar, I knew I wanted to make this cake with it. Domino® Golden Sugar is a less processed, cup-for-cup alternative to white granulated sugar. It has a lovely golden color and the taste has a slight hint of molasses. I have two very young kids and a health-nut husband so having a less processed option to use in my baked goods is a huge plus in my kitchen.
Now, the main reason I wanted to try this particular cake recipe with the golden sugar was to satisfy my curiosity. Even though it has a golden tint, would it stand up to the test of producing a nice white cake? Well, the answer is YES. To keep the cake as white as possible, I only used egg whites in the recipe and flavored it with almond extract since it is clear. (Feel free to substitute it with clear vanilla extract if you prefer). This cake is fluffy, fragrant and moist. It is a butter based cake so it has a nice rich flavor and enough stability to be layered but I also added a little bit of oil to make it extra moist. You can substitute the APF for cake flour to make the crumb even more delicate and light.
To fill and coat the cake, I went with an Italian meringue buttercream. It elevates any cake since it is amazingly luxurious, smooth and delicious. This buttercream requires you to boil the sugar and water until 240^ (soft ball stage) so it’s helpful to have a candy thermometer on hand. When boiled, the golden sugar gives of a very dark brown color but don’t be alarmed. Once added to the super white meringue, the buttercream magically ends up being pretty light in color. I compared the color of this against a batch that was made using white granulated sugar and it surprisingly wasn’t that much different! That’s good to know because I was planning to color my buttercream in order to pipe some flowers so I needed to start with a pretty white base. The only real difference I noticed was the taste. The batch made with the golden sugar gave off a delicious hint of molasses which made it even more special and unique.
To decorate the cake, I colored the buttercream in shades of yellow, peach and pink. I used those to pipe a variety of flowers such as roses, ranunculus and peonies. Again, because the golden sugar yielded a very light colored buttercream, I was able to mix bright, vibrant colors without any issue.
Here is a list of all the piping tips I used for each flower:
Rose (104) Ranunculus (59 for the green petals and 104 for the peach petals) Peony (121) White Blossoms (224) Leaves (352) Buds (4 and 8)
I would say the combination of white almond cake, Italian meringue buttercream and beautiful hand-piped flowers make for a pretty special cake! So give it a try. I’m sure whoever you make this cake for will be blown away by its taste and design. To get your hands on Domino® Golden Sugar for these recipes and more, head over to Amazon.
Recipes:
White Almond Cake
Yield: Three 8” rounds, serving size 12
Prep time: 10 mins
Bake time: 28-30 mins
Ingredients:
1 C Unsalted Butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/4 C Vegetable Oil
2C Domino® Golden Sugar
1 C Egg whites (~7 large eggs)
3 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/4 t Salt
2 C Whole Milk
2 t Almond Extract
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Meanwhile, prepare three 8” round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Separately, combine the milk and almond extract.
Using a mixer, whip butter, oil and Domino® Golden Sugar on high with a paddle attachment until fluffy and light in color.
On medium speed, add in a few egg whites at a time making sure they are fully incorporated before adding more. Then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Switch to low speed and add a third of the dry ingredients until just combined, followed by half of the wet ingredients.
Continue to alternate adding in dry ingredients and wet ingredients, starting and ending with dry. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl once more and mix again for 2-3 seconds until everything is incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 28-30 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Domino® Golden Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream
Yield: ~5 Cups
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
1/3 C Water
1 1/2 C Domino® Golden Sugar
1 C Egg Whites (~7 large eggs)
1 1/2 pounds Unsalted Butter, softened (6 sticks)
2 t Vanilla Extract
Procedure:
Combine water and Domino® Golden Sugar in a small sauce pan. Do not stir. On medium-high heat bring the mixture to a boil until the syrup reaches 240° (soft ball stage).
Before the syrup reaches its desired temperature, at about 220°, start whipping the egg whites with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until it becomes fluffy, white and reaches stiff peaks.
With the mixer running, slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin, steady stream into the egg whites. Once all the syrup has been added, change the speed to high and let it whip until the bowl is cool to the touch and a voluminous meringue forms.
On low speed, add in softened butter, a little at a time. Once all the butter has been added the meringue will look deflated. Switch to medium-high speed and mix until the buttercream regains its volume and structure.
Add in vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
*This buttercream will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you are planning to keep it any longer than that, store it in the fridge or freezer. For delicious variations add cocoa powder, peanut butter, fruit purees or different flavored extracts.