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Horchata cake has all the flavors of traditional horchata but in cake form! This light and fluffy cake has almond meal and ground cinnamon and the frosting tastes just like horchata! Top with mini gingerbread houses and rosemary dusted in powered sugar for a lovely holiday flair! Enjoy with a warm Gingerbread Latte for the ultimate indulgent holiday treat!
The holidays are all about slowing down and cozying up! Traditional Horchata is my favorite comfort drink and this Horchata Coffee is a close second! For desserts this Gingerbread Cake and Brown Butter Pecan Sheet Cake are filled with warm flavors and will look impressive on any holiday table!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Horchata Cake
- Cake flour and almond meal – Cake flour is important to use because it will give your cake a soft and light texture. Almond meal adds a little bit of texture.
- Egg whites – Gives structure and a lighter feel to the cake similar to angel food cake.
- Vanilla bean paste – You can use vanilla extract but vanilla bean paste is ideal because it will give you a stronger and more intense vanilla flavor.
- Horchata – Either homemade or restaurant-bought horchata is fine. It will be cooked down until it’s really concentrated then it’s mixed into the frosting!
- Ground cinnamon – It’s used in both the cake batter and the frosting and it gives that classic Horchata flavor to this dessert!
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How To Make Horchata Cake:
- For the cake: Flour, grease and line two cake pans then set aside. In a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together using a paddle attachment then add in the cubed butter. Slowly add in the milk, egg whites and vanilla, beating until you have a smooth batter.
- Bake: Divide the batter between the two cake pans then bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to rest on a wire rack until completely cooled.
- For the frosting: In a small saucepan reduce your horchata down until 4 tablespoons, removing any milk skin forming on the surface, then allow it to cool completely. In a stand mixer add butter, powered sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract mixing until smooth. Add in the reduced horchata and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
- Assemble: Frost cake as desired. Top with mini gingerbread houses, shredded coconut and trees made of out fresh rosemary dusted in powered sugar if you are going for a Christmas/ Winter theme.
Tips and Tricks
Sift the powdered sugar. There’s nothing worse than a lumpy frosting filled with clumps of powdered sugar!
This cake freezes well. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag for several months. When ready to enjoy, simply unwrap the cake and allow it to thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
Recipe FAQs
This is a Latin American rice-based drink. There are many different varieties of horchata, but this Mexican-style version is the most popular in America. It’s made with rice, milk, almonds, a cinnamon stick and vanilla. The rice and cinnamon are soaked in water for several hours then blended and combined with the rest of the ingredients. It can be served hot or chilled and served over ice.
Horchata tastes likes warm and refreshing cinnamon spiced almond milk! It’s smooth and creamy and similar to rice pudding, but not as thick.
More Holiday Cake Recipes
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Horchata Cake
Equipment
- 2 (8-inch) cake pans
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment
- 1 small saucepan
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting pans
- 1/4 cup almond meal, sifted (any big bits of almond meal can be discarded)
- 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 large egg whites, will equal to a scant 3/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 2/3 cup homemade horchata or restaurant-bought horchata cooked down to 4 tablespoons
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
To make the cake layers:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Flour, grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, combine the cake flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. At a slow speed, add the cubed butter and mix until it resembles soft crumbs. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla. Add about 1/2 of the milk/egg white mixture and continue beating for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1/2 of the milk/egg white mixture and beat for an additional 30 seconds or so, scrape down the sides and give it one last mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter to pan walls, smooth the tops and give the pans a gentle bang on the kitchen counter. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart (this will help with proper cake circulation, yes this is a thing). Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 23 minutes. (If you’re using nine-inch cake pans, the cake might take around 25 minutes to bake, just keep that in mind.)
- Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely,
To make the frosting:
- Add the horchata to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then immediately turn the heat down to low. Cook for about 10 minutes, until it measures out to be about 4 tablespoons. Remove the milk skin that may have formed on the surface of the milk and discard (this is a normal thing to happen). Set the horchata aside and allow to come to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add the butter. Sift in the powdered sugar and then add the salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Next, pour in 2 tablespoons of the cooked down horchata and mix until fully incorporated. Add a tablespoon more if desired. Frost cake as desired.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Sift the powdered sugar. There’s nothing worse than a lumpy frosting filled with clumps of powdered sugar! This cake freezes well. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag for several months. When ready to enjoy, simply unwrap the cake and allow it to thaw in the fridge or on the counter.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
ahhhhh, was waiting for this one. looks like i’m walking my lazy self over to guisados to grab some horchata cause i def want to make this!!! also, those little houses are TOO CUTE. and more alsos, i love that you added almond meal to the batter. genius!!!
yessss dooo it! that location on spring! xoxo
this cake, and your photos are gorgeous! love how you incorporated some spice and almond flour for those horchata feels 🙂 ahhh, guisados! it will forever be my fave pit stop when i’m in town.
thank you! i live so close to it i have to stop myself from going and getting their quesadilla every single day.
This cake is so cute 🙂
Rachael xx.
theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk
thanks, rachael!
This cake is so flippin’ adorable! I love cakes with wintery scenes.
ME TOO! xoxo
Genius to add cinnamon and almond flour instead of just the horchata itself. This cake looks amazing!!!
it worked so well! thanks, sarah!
I adore this sweet little festive cake! I’ve also never thought to use horchata as a cake flavor but it’s brilliant, YUM!
i want to make everything horchata-flavored now!
those little gingerbread houses up top are just so cute. can’t wait to try this frosting, it sounds BOMB. xo
thanks girlfriend! x
Nothing like a cake with that cinnamon kick for the holidays 🙂
it’s so festive!
oooh yes love that you maxed out all the horchata-ness. and those mini gingerbread houses plus those rosemary branches are the perfect trees, especially for that size of gingerbread house!
thanks girlfriend! x
that last shot of amelia looking at the cake is exactly how i feel. give me all da horchata cake please. maybe with a side of guisados tacos?!?
the best part of about having to go to guisados to get this horchata was that i had tacos for b’fast haha.