Category: 1. Cakes

Ingredients:

For Chocolate Sponge Cake:

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coffee extract or emulsion
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

For Nutella Whipped Cream:

• 13 oz jar Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
• 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
• cocoa powder, for dusting
• extra strawberries for garnish
• 1/2 cup sweet wine, for soaking cake
• OR
• 1/2 cup simple syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line a large baking sheet (13×18-inches) with parchment paper, leaving the sides ungreased. Prepare the sponge cake first: place the eggs and sugar into a stand mixer bowl and whisk on high speed for 7 to 9 minutes, until the eggs are almost white in color, thick and voluminous. Next, add in the vanilla and coffee extracts and whisk again for 30 seconds.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and stir together. Sift the dry ingredients into the eggs in small batches, folding gently but thoroughly from the bottom of the mixing bowl after each addition; keep the eggs as fluffy as possible. Pour the prepared batter into your baking sheet and spread evenly to the edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, just until the top is set.
3. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, run a knife or spatula along the edge to release it from the pan. Using a sifter, dust the top of the cake lightly with additional cocoa powder. Lay a clean kitchen towel over the top of the cake, then gently invert it onto a cooling rack. Peel away the parchment paper and dust the second side of the cake with cocoa powder. While the cake is still hot, gently roll it into a tight log and set it onto a cool rack to cool completely (place into the freezer to cool quickly). Watch my video recipe to see how it’s done!
4. Next, prepare the Nutella whipped cream. Place the softened butter and the Nutella into a mixer bowl and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy, fluffy and well combined. Add in the chilled heavy cream (make sure it’s really cold!) and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Stop to scrape down the mixing bowl, then mix again on high speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, just until stiff peaks form; do not overmix!
5. Gently unroll the cooled cake and use a pastry brush to lightly soak the cake with sweet wine or simple syrup. Then spread the Nutella whipped cream evenly to the edges with an off-set spatula, reserving 1 cup for garnishing the top. Spread the chopped strawberries in an even layer over the frosting, then roll the cake back up gently but firmly the same way. Place a serving tray at the end of the cake roll to effortlessly roll the cake right onto the platter. Watch my video recipe to see how it’s done!
6. Transfer the remaining frosting into a pastry bag; I used Ateco tip #829. Add dollops or swirls of cream on top of the cake and garnish with additional fresh strawberries. I recommend refrigerating the cake for at least an hour before enjoying. Keep the cake refrigerated when not enjoying.
7. Enjoyed this recipe? Please consider leaving me a comment or rating review to help my blog! 

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 1096IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 3mg

Ingredients:

Crust

• 35 Oreos (3 cups | 403g Oreo crumbs)
• 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, melted (salted or unsalted is fine)

Filling

• 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (207g) sugar
• 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120ml) Baileys Irish Cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz (113g | 2/3 cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp (30ml) Baileys Irish Cream
• 3 tbsp (45ml) heavy whipping cream

Baileys Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 3/4 cup (86g) powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp (45ml) Baileys Irish Cream
• Oreo crumbs, optional

---

Instructions:

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in pan. Set prepared pan aside.

To make the filling:

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well completely combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the sour cream and mix on low speed until well combined.
3. Add Baileys Irish Cream and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture and mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust.
6. Place the prepared springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
7. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
8. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
9. Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.

To Finish off the Cheesecake:

1. To make the chocolate ganache, put the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
2. Microwave the Baileys and heavy whipping cream just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the ganache onto the cheesecake and spread into an even layer. Use an offset spatula to add a little texture/design, if you like. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator while you make the whipped cream.
4. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and Baileys to a large mixer bowl and then whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
5. Pipe the whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake, then sprinkle on a few Oreo crumbs, if desired.
6. Store the cheesecake in the fridge until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best if eaten within 4-5 days.

Ingredients:

For the White Chocolate Sponge Cakes

• 180 g Butter/ baking margarine room temperature
• 180 g Golden caster sugar
• 180 g Plain flour all purpose
• 1½ teaspoon Baking powder
• 3 Eggs large, free range
• 3 tablespoon Milk room temperature
• 1½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 150 g White chocolate

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 60 g Milk chocolate
• 20 g Dark chocolate
• 30 ml Baileys Irish Cream
• 30 ml Double cream (heavy cream)

For the While Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

• 200 g Mascarpone
• 160 g White chocolate
• 100 ml Double cream
• 75 ml Baileys Irish Cream

Instructions:

Make the White Chocolate Cakes

1. Preheat the oven 170°/ 325°F/ GM3
2. Grease and line 3 x 6-inch circular baking tins (note these are smaller than average tins – if you are using 8-inch tins see my notes on how to scale up the recipe)½
3. In a bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using electric beaters. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
4. Add 3 tablespoon of milk & the vanilla extract and beat again. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix well
5. Melt the white chocolate and let cool for 3 minutes. Next, take a tablespoon of the cake batter and stir it quickly into the melted white chocolate.
6. Gently fold this white chocolate mixture back into the bowl containing the rest of the cake batter. This double-action will stop the chocolate from seizing when it is mixed into the cake batter.
7. Divide the batter equally between the 3 cake tins and bake for approx 20 minutes until golden and cooked through (test by pushing a cocktail stick into the centre – it should come out clean).
8. Once cooked, let rest in the tins for 2 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely

Make the Ganache and Frosting

1. Make the white chocolate ganache by heating the Baileys and cream to scalding (do not let it boil) and pouring it over the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to melt, then stir until smooth. Transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes to cool and thicken slightly
2. Make the chocolate ganache in exactly the same way. Leave to cool at room temperature
3. Once the white chocolate ganache has thickened slightly, beat in the mascarpone using electric beaters. Take care not to overbeat as mascarpone can soon split. Give a 10 second beat, scrape down the bowl with a spatula and whisk again for another 10 seconds. Repeat once more if necessary. The frosting is ready – it should be a good consistency to cover the cake, but if it needs to firm up, just pop it into the fridge for a few minutes

Assemble the Cake

1. Lay one layer of cake onto a worksurface and spoon half of the chocolate ganache into the centre, then spread it out, leaving a 1cm border around the cake
2. Pipe a circle of white chocolate frosting around the edge of the ganache
3. Spread 1 rounded tablespoon of frosting onto the next layer of cake and place it on top of the first layer, so the frosting sits on top of the chocolate ganache
4. Repeat the above: spoon the remaining ganache onto the cake & spread it out, pipe frosting around the edge of the ganache and spread another rounded tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of the final layer of cake and place on top of the stack
5. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake (naked style) and add a generous amount of frosting to the top. It does not need to be smooth. Decorate as desired – chocolates and gold-dusted chocolate leaves look superb.

Notes

Instructions for 8.5 inch pans

This recipe uses 3 x 6 inch circular cake tins. If you wish to use standard 8.5 inch tins, my suggestion is to simply double the recipe. In an ideal world, you would scale up the recipe to bake it using 5 eggs, but that leads to some fiddly measurements. Making double is far easier – just ensure you do not fill your sandwich tins more than ⅔ full with the batter and use the leftover batter to make a few cupcakes. You perhaps will not need to double the frosting though – I’d suggest making 1.5 times that stated in the recipe.

Tips for Successfully incorporating Melted Chocolate into the Cake Batter

1. Use ingredients at room temperature for the cake batter – so pull the butter, milk and eggs out of the fridge well in advance to allow them to acclimatise
2. When melting the chocolate, stop heating when a few lumps still remain. Just keep stirring until those lumps disappear. This will reduce the risk of the chocolate being too hot. Once melted, I usually let my chocolate sit for 3-5 minutes before combining with the cake batter
3. And finally, when ready to mix, remember to stir 1 tablespoon of cake batter briskly into the melted chocolate. Again, this helps to reduce the differences in temperature between the 2 elements. Then just add the white chocolate mix into the cake batter and fold through (or beat very briefly when an electric whisk if it still looks like seizing).

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (184g) low-fat buttermilk
• 3/4 cup warm coffee
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon McCormick pure vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (60g) heavy cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with grease and flour.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), add cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.
3. Slowly add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
4. Divide the batter between pans. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out with a few crumbs (but not wet batter), about 25-30 minutes.
5. Let cool for 15 minutes. Turn out from pans. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool completely as you make the whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1. In a large bowl, whip cream until soft peaks are just about to form. Add in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form, making sure not to overbeat.

Assembling the Cake

1. Set one of the 8-inch round cakes on a cake stand.
2. Spread about 1 cup of whipped cream over the cake with an offset spatula.
3. Set the second cake on top of the first cake. Cover the second cake in whipped cream.
4. Place the fruit on the lower edge of the cake. Then, place more fruit on top of the second cake. Garnish with baby’s breath (optional, but remove before eating the cake).

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 c. sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
• 1/4 c. heavy cream

FOR THE ICING:

• 1 pt. heavy cream, for whipping
• 3 tbsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
3. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
4. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
5. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
7. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
8. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
9. Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Ingredients:

For Sponge Cake:

• 9 large eggs
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

For Milk Syrup:

• 1 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

For Frosting:

• 8 oz softened mascarpone or cream cheese
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 2 cup heavy cream, chilled

Instructions

Making the Coffee Sponge Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line the bottom of two, 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans with parchment paper; leave the sides ungreased.
2. Prepare the coffee sponge cake first. In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar on high speed for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggs are thick, voluminous and pale in color. In a small ramekin or bowl, dissolve the 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder in 2 tablespoons boiling water. Pour the dissolved coffee into the eggs and mix again for 30 seconds.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, almond flour and baking powder. Sift the dry ingredients into the eggs in small batches, folding gently but thoroughly after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
4. Bake the layers in the preheated oven for 33 to 35 minutes, until the tops are set. Remove the layers from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan. Once layers are cooled, run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the cake. Use a long serrated knife to split each layer in half, resulting in four layers total.

Preparing the Milk Syrup:

1. For the coffee syrup, first heat the milk in a microwave safe measuring cup until the milk is steaming hot. Add the instant coffee and stir until it’s dissolved. Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, then stir until all three milks are well combined; set aside.

Making the Frosting:

1. Next, prepare the coffee whipped cream. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water. Allow the coffee to cool. Add the dissolved coffee into a large mixing bowl along with the softened cream cheese (or chilled mascarpone) and sugar.
2. Whisk the ingredients together for a few minutes until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the chilled heavy cream and whisk again until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. The frosting should be fluffy and hold its shape.

Assembling the Cake:

1. Before assembling the cake, make sure the cake layers are completely cooled! Start by soaking each sponge cake layer very generously with the prepared coffee milk syrup, then frost with whipped cream.
2. Frost the top and sides with a flat spatula. Transfer any remaining cream into a pastry bag tipped with a simple round tip; garnish the top of the cake with dollops of cream. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and add whole coffee beans, if desired.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (315g)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature (85g)
• 2/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (157ml)
• ½ cup sour cream (120g)
• 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract²
• 3/4 cup whole milk room temperature preferred (175ml)
• 6 large or extra large egg whites³, room temperature preferred (see note for suggestions on recipes to try with leftover egg yolks.)
• 20 Oreo cookies broken into pieces

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened, use full-fat brick-style cream cheese (170g)
• 12 oz cream cheese softened (340g)
• 5 ¼ cup powdered sugar (655g)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons clear vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream optional
• 10 Oreo cookies pulverized to fine crumbs (if any significant pieces remain they will clog your piping tip)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and prepare three 8-inch round cake pans (see note 5 to make in two pans) by lining the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper and greasing the sides with baking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer) whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Turn mixer to low-speed and add butter, one tablespoon at a time, not adding the next tablespoon until the first is completely combined. When you’re finished, the mixture should resemble coarse sandy crumbs (see video above for visual).
4. Add canola oil and stir until combined, then add sour cream and vanilla extract and stir on low-speed until completely combined. With mixer still on low-speed, add milk until combined.
5. In a separate bowl that is completely clean, dry, and grease-free, use clean, dry beaters to beat egg whites to stiff peaks (I show a visual of this in the post above and in the video if it’s your first time doing this!).
6. Use a spatula to gently fold your whipped egg whites into batter (don’t overmix, but make sure there are no lumps of egg white remaining).
7. Carefully fold in broken Oreo pieces. Divide batter evenly into prepared baking pans and transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops spring back if lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If your oven does not bake evenly you may need to rotate pans halfway through baking.
8. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 15 minutes then carefully invert onto cooling rack and allow to completely cool before assembling and decorating.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes enough to decorate cake as seen in photos)

1. Prepare frosting by creaming together butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer or stand mixer until creamy and well-combined.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar with mixer on low-speed (or see my video for a tip for adding all the sugar at once without making a mess!), scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and stir in salt and vanilla extract. With mixer on low speed, add cream and gradually increase mixer speed to high. Beat for 15-30 seconds until light and smooth.
3. Evenly ice cake (you’ll only need approximately 2/3 of the icing for this), and once whole cake is covered in icing use your hands to press pulverized Oreo crumbs evenly halfway up the cake. Pour about 3-4 Tablespoons of remaining Oreo cookie crumbs into remaining frosting and stir to combine (you can adjust how many crumbs you’d like to use according to how light or dark you would like your frosting to be). Fit a large piping bag with Ateco 848 piping tip and fill with frosting. Pipe swirls around the top of the cake. Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 16-18 small gingersnap cookies, crushed (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cheesecake

• 1 ½ blocks (12 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (127 g) eggnog
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• whipped topping, optional, for garnish

Instructions:

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 2, 12-cup mini cheesecake pans* with nonstick cooking spray. (This makes a total of 18 mini cheesecakes.)
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine crushed gingersnaps, butter, sugar, and nutmeg.
3. Divide the crust evenly between the prepared cheesecake pan, 1 tablespoon per cheesecake. Firmly press each crust into the bottom of the pan.
4. Bake for 5 minutes.

Cheesecake

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
2. In a large bowl using a handmixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fully incoporated.
3. Add eggnog, flour, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Mix on medium speed to combine.
4. Add the egg and mix on low until just combined.
5. Fill each of the cheesecake cups about ¾ full (about 2 tablespoons of cheesecake mixture each). Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the center is mostly set. (A little jiggle is okay.)
6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the mini cheesecakes to cool for 1 hour. Once cool, transfer the pan to the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
7. Remove the cheesecakes from the pans and serve. Garnish with optional whipped cream.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

Frosting:

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup cold heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring the milk and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Beat the butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
4. Reduce the mixer to low and beat in the flour mixture in four additions. Carefully pour the hot milk mixture into the batter. Stir using a rubber spatula until smooth. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans and lightly tap the pans on the counter.
5. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from sides of the pans and the centers spring back when pressed gently, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto the rack and cool completely. Peel the parchment from the bottoms.

frosting:

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running on medium-high speed, slowly pour in the heavy cream until it is fully incorporated. Continue beating until the frosting is slightly lighter in color and creamy, about 1 minute more.
2. Put one cake round on a serving plate; spread about one-third of the frosting over the top, going to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake round on top. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. 

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix (regular size)
• 1 cup (126g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 cup water
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract, can use imitation if there are allergies

Instructions

1. Mix all dry ingredients by hand using a whisk in a very large mixing bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on medium-low speed with a stand mixer or medium with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes.
3. Pour into two 8-inch round prepared cake pans.
4. Lightly tap cake pans on counter to bring air bubbles to top.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick is removed mostly clean. Do not overbake.