This White Chocolate Amaretto Cake has light and fluffy white chocolate cake layers that are brushed with an amaretto syrup before being covered with White Chocolate Amaretto Swiss Meringue Buttercream and decorated with white chocolate curls.
My mom found this White Chocolate Amaretto Cake recipe in a copy of Dierbergs "Everybody Cooks" magazine, which is sadly no longer in print. She asked me to make this cake for her birthday.
Because we had a big extended family party on a different day than her actual birthday, I made this and the Mocha Cream Cake, also from an issue of "Everybody Cooks."
We loved this cake! The amaretto syrup gave extra flavor and moisture to the cake layers, and the White Chocolate Amaretto Swiss Meringue Buttercream was ultra smooth.
Although it may seem like this cake has many steps, it's actually easy to break them down into a 2 day process to save on time.
While I usually prefer traditional chocolate over white chocolate in any dessert, this cake was so good I didn't mind!
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Bake the Cakes
For this cake, you will need three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. I always use moistened Even Bake Cake Strips on my cake pans to ensure even rising so I won't have to level the cakes later. I also use a non-stick baking spray with flour, like Pam for Baking, to grease the pans.
If you don't have this type of baking spray or you need to make the cake gluten free, I recommend not only buttering and flouring the pans but also adding a buttered and floured parchment circle in the bottom of each pan.
To make the batter, white chocolate is melted into milk and set aside.
Next, the dry ingredients are combined and set aside.
Then, the butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla are beat in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy, followed by a reduction in speed when the dry ingredients and white chocolate milk are added alternately.
Finally, the egg whites are beat to soft peaks, the remaining sugar is added, and the meringue is folded into the cake batter. This lightened batter will make for a super fluffy cake.
The batter is divided evenly among the pans and baked until cooked through. While the cakes bake and cool, make the amaretto syrup and buttercream.
Make the Amaretto Syrup
This amaretto syrup will be brushed on the cake sponge during assembly to give even more flavor and moisture to the cake.
To make the syrup, combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer until the volume is reduced by half.
Cool the syrup and stir in the amaretto. Set this aside until you assemble the cake.
Make the Frosting
Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until it reaches 160°F. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer the egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Reduce the speed and add the butter in small amounts. Blend in the melted white chocolate and amaretto and continue mixing until the frosting is smooth.
Swiss meringue buttercream notoriously looks curdled at some point after mixing in the butter. Keep mixing and it will come together.
Make the White Chocolate Curls
The white chocolate curls are used to decorate the bottom border and top center of the cake.
To make the curls, warm a block or bar of white chocolate in your hand. Draw a vegetable peeler across the block to create curls. If the chocolate begins shaving rather than curling, you need to warm it more.
You can make the curls in advance and chill them until you're ready to use them.
Assemble the Cake
To assemble the cake, place a small mound of buttercream on a cake board or serving platter. Place the first cake layer on top. Brush the layer with amaretto syrup, then cover with a layer of buttercream.
Add the second cake layer and repeat until all three layers have been stacked. Completely cover the cake in buttercream.
Sprinkle the white chocolate curls around the bottom perimeter of the cake and in the top center of the cake.
Storage
Store the cake in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Pro Tip
If you don't want to buy an entire bottle of amaretto, see if your store has the travel-sized bottles.
Nut Free Option
While some brands of amaretto may contain almonds, Disaronno is nut free because it is made with apricot kernel oil.
Gluten Free Option
Although I haven't tried it myself, you can substitute a gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour, like Bob's Red Mill, in place of the cake flour in this recipe. The cake may be a little denser.
📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Amaretto Cake
Equipment
- 3 8- or 9-inch cake pans
- 3 Even Bake Cake Strips
- 1 vegetable peeler for optional white chocolate curls
Ingredients
White Chocolate Cake:
- 1½ cups milk (divided)
- 3 ounces white chocolate (chopped)
- 2¾ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 1½ cups sugar (divided)
- 4 eggs (separated)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Amaretto Syrup:
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon amaretto
Amaretto Buttercream Frosting:
- 8 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ cups salted butter (softened)
- 3 ounces white chocolate (melted and cooled slightly)
- 3 tablespoons amaretto
Decoration (optional):
- block or bar of white chocolate
Instructions
Bake the Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly coat bottom and sides of three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cake baking spray with flour, such as Pam for Baking. Alternatively, butter and flour the pans and add a buttered and floured parchment circle to the bottom of each pan. Add moist Even Bake Cake Strips around each pan. Set aside.
- In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, combine ½ cup of the milk and the white chocolate. Microwave the cup on high for 1½ minutes; stir. If the chocolate is not melted, microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir until smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk. Set aside to cool slightly.3 ounces white chocolate
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.2¾ cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.½ cup butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- With mixer at low speed, alternately add dry ingredients and milk mixture into butter mixture. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining ½ cup sugar until shiny but not dry. Fold the whites into the cake batter in 2 additions.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and the sides begin to pull away from edges.
- Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto wire racks. Cool completely.
Make the Amaretto Syrup:
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced in volume by half.¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup water
- Cool the syrup. Stir in the amaretto. You should have about ¼ cup syrup. Set aside until assembling the cake.1 tablespoon amaretto
Make the Amaretto Buttercream:
- In a heavy saucepan, whisk the egg whites and sugar until very well blended. Place the pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk until the mixture reaches 160°F, about 10 to 12 minutes.8 egg whites, 1 cup sugar
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium. Add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until all of it has been added. Mixture may appear slightly curdled at this point.1½ cups salted butter
- Blend in melted white chocolate and amaretto until the frosting is very smooth and creamy. Set aside.3 ounces white chocolate, 3 tablespoons amaretto
Make the White Chocolate Curls (optional):
- Warm a block or bar of white chocolate in your hand. Draw a vegetable peeler across the chocolate to create curls. If the chocolate shaves rather than curls, it needs more warming.
- Curls can be made in advance and chilled until ready to use.
Assemble Cake:
- Place a small amount of buttercream in the center of a cake plate or platter. Add one cake layer on top, brush with the amaretto syrup, then spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top.
- Add the second cake layer and repeat with syrup and frosting. Top with final cake layer and syrup.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the sides and top of cake.
- Sprinkle white chocolate curls around bottom perimeter of cake and in top center to garnish. If needed, you can use a wooden pick to lift and apply the finished curls to the cake.
- Store cake in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature to serve.
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