Horchata Cake
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!
Servings: 7 slices or 1 (eight-inch) cake
Cost: $9
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
Serving: 7g | Calories: 1146kcal | Carbohydrates: 141g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 112g | Vitamin A: 1882IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 1mg