Orange Almond Cake

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read disclosure to learn more.

This orange almond cake is light and fluffy, which makes it perfect for a spring or summer afternoon treat. With a subtle flavor of almond and hint of orange, it pairs well with the creamy texture of the ermine buttercream that surrounds the cake layers.

sometimes when i'm in the mood to bake something but don't want to go to the store to buy ingredients, i will just take a look into the cabinets and fridge to see what i have. usually i don't have much of anything, but this time around i found some oranges and some almond extract. that's a plus especially since i just recently moved into my own apartment and everything is still a very hot mess. it's not easy to unpack everything when you don't have everything. especially furniture. you need lots of shelves when your apartment is so small that there's no closet for your clothes and extras. major shopping trips are definitely in my future.

it's also fun though to just come up with something out of what you already have. you never know what kind of fun creative combinations you could come up with. the opportunities are endless! give it a try sometime and see what you can come up with. one thing i will always have in my fridge is almond milk. i never drink regular milk, i find it foul and disgusting. if i'm baking i will use regular milk when i need to, but usually it's buttermilk and the occasional almond milk. this time around it's almond milk, perfect for the orange almond flavor of the cake.

Ermine buttercream

this cake is super light and perfect for this time of the year. the cake is light with orange flavor and the almond buttercream is ermine buttercream, or flour buttercream, which adds to the light and fluffiness of this cake. it's a really great combination and i'm absolutely in love with it. now the ermine buttercream can be tricky and temperamental. you have to make it exactly as said, or else it just won't turn out and will turn into a curdled mess. i know because i've done it before. wasn't pretty. so just make sure to follow the directions exactly.

You can also sign up to receive my newsletter and by doing so you will get a free buttercream guide. My buttercream guide will tell you everything you need to know about ermine buttercream plus 6 other buttercreams too! Just sign up below to receive your buttercream guide today!

[mailerlite_form form_id=2]

Change it up!

You can easily replace the orange juice with another citrus fruit!

If blood orange is in season I would give that a try, otherwise grapefruit, lemon or even lime would be lovely in this cake.

Other recipes you may like

Mango orange peeps

Blood orange sorbet

Almond raspberry cupcakes

almond orange cake

a gorgeous almond orange cake made with almond milk that is coated in a fluffy ermine buttercream.

cake

• 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda and baking powder
• juice and zest of 1 large naval orange
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond milk (i used the organic 40 calorie almond milk from Silk)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

buttercream

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups almond milk (or regular milk)
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
• 2 cups granulated sugar

cake

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

2. in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and whisk together.

3. in another bowl combine the orange juice and zest, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, almond milk and whisk until incorporated.

4. pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until fully combined. separate the batter evenly among the cake pans.

5. bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cakes cool for 10 minutes and then carefully remove from the pans to continue cooling. wrap in cling wrap until ready to use.

buttercream

1. in a saucepan combine the flour and milk and place over medium-low heat. whisk the mixture constantly until it starts to thicken, about 8-15 minutes. (this depends on if you have a gas or electric stove top.)

2. once thick remove from the heat. put the mixture into a bowl and mix in the almond and vanilla extract. place cling wrap directly over the mixture so a skin doesn't form. let cool until room temp.

3. once at room temp, place the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4. before adding the flour mixture, make sure there aren't any clumps. if there are i suggest putting the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time into the butter mixture.

5. once the flour mixture is all added, whip on high for about a minute. the buttercream will resemble whipped cream.