This Almond Amaretto Cake is a must for any almond lover! Almond cake layers infused with Amaretto liqueur paired with a classic vanilla buttercream.

I was never a fan of almond flavored cakes. I found them strong and perfumey, and generally didn’t like the flavor — at least of the almond cakes I had tried in the past, which I’ll admit, was not many. As it turns out, what I don’t like about almond cake is the flavor of almond extract. Amaretto is a whole ‘nother delicious level.

Ryan and I were in London this June visiting family, and Ryan’s stepmother, Carol, suggested we try this famous chocolate and cake boutique called Choccywoccydoodah. I had never heard of it before, but there was no need to twist my arm — chocolate AND cake? I’m there. The name is crazy and the creations in the shop are even more so. It is amazing what they can do with chocolate! If you’re ever in London, it’s worth checking out.
They have this little cafe on the upper level of the shop, so naturally we had to stop in and sample. We hadn’t even had lunch yet, but we were all pretty okay going straight to the dessert. Naturally, wanting to sample everything, I got this over-the-top 5 layer cake where each layer was different. The almond cake layer was my favorite by far, and since then I’ve had it in my mind to make a delicious Almond Amaretto Cake.

In order to up the almond flavor, I added some almond flour to the cake batter. I really like the texture this gives the cake, but it’s totally optional. Almond flour is expensive, so if you don’t have any laying around, feel free to just replace it with flour. The Amaretto in the cake layers and the Amaretto syrup are both must-do’s in my opinion. It really helps to enhance the flavor, and the syrup adds amazing moisture too.
I chose to pair this almond cake with a simple vanilla buttercream, but you could add Amaretto to that too if you prefer. If you’d rather make a non-alcoholic version of this cake, you can use almond extract instead, but use it sparingly. Almond extract is very easily overpowering, definitely a case where less is more.

I kept the decoration on this cake simple — toasted almonds pressed into the sides, and some dollops on top with an Ateco 867 (or Wilton 6B) tip. If you’re an almond lover or have one in your life, or if you’ve hated almond cakes all your life like I have and want to try something that just might convert you, this cake is a must!!

Looking for more boozy desserts?
Tips for making this Almond Cake recipe:
- If you don’t have almond flour and can’t be bothered buying it (I don’t blame you), you can just leave it out and increase the flour to 2 1/4 cups.
- If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can use almond extract instead. For the cake, use 1/4 – 1/2 tsp almond extract (at most) and increase the milk to 1 cup. For the syrup, use 1 tsp of almond extract instead of Amaretto. Almond extract is strong and it’s easy to overdo it. Less is more here.
- For nut lovers, check out my Pear & Walnut Cake, Ferrero Rocher Cake, and Walnut Cake.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.

Almond Amaretto Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk room temperature
- 1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur
Amaretto Syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Assembly:
- 1 cup sliced almonds toasted
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder,and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine milk and Amaretto. Set aside
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Amaretto Syrup:
- Place sugar and water into a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 mins. Remove from heat, stir in Amaretto. Cool completely
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot (160F) and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.** Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Assembly:
- Trim tops of each cake layer just slightly (to help the syrup absorb).
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush generously with Amaretto Syrup. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Press toasted almonds into the bottom and sprinkle on top of the cake.
Notes
** The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. Note:
– If you don’t have almond flour and can’t be bothered buying it (I don’t blame you), you can just leave it out and increase the flour to 2 1/4 cups.
– If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can use almond extract instead. For the cake, use 1/4 – 1/2 tsp almond extract (at most) and increase the milk to 1 cup. For the syrup, use 1 tsp of almond extract instead of Amaretto. Almond extract is strong and it’s easy to overdo it. Less is more here.
rebecca says
can I use an alternative to the milk like soya milk?
Olivia says
Hi Rebecca! Yes, that should work fine.
Max says
I can’t wait to make this cake, I’m planning on making it tomorrow I just have a quick question, what kind of milk did you use and would using 1% milk work for the cake or would it have to be something with more fat like whole milk?
Olivia says
Hi Max! Any milk will work. Whole milk is ideal, but I always use 1% because it’s what I have in my fridge!
Amanda says
Hi there! Wondering if I can use all almond flour instead of mixing both? I cannot wait to try this!! Thank you!!
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! I haven’t tried it with all AF myself, and worry about about the structural integrity of not having AP flour in there for some gluten. Let me know if you try it though!
Elaine says
Hi! I am planning on making this with amaretto “extract” flavoring and use the kid-friendly approach. Should vanilla still be used?
Also, I am planning on using a salted caramel frosting for inside, maybe even the external buttercream flavoring as well – do you think I should still do the amaretto syrup?
Olivia says
Hi Elaine! You could still use vanilla for sure, or leave it out — either way 🙂 I would do the syrup both for flavour and moisture still.
Cliff says
I’ve noticed several questions on resizing, I wanted to do 3 9” pans with enough height to potentially slice for a 6 layer cake…would doubling the recipe be adequate or way too much, would 1-1/2 the recipe be better?
Olivia says
Hi Cliff! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I would 2x the recipe for three 9″ pans.
Danielle says
Would it be okay to use amaretto creamer instead of liquer??
Olivia says
Hi Danielle! The flavour might not be as strong but it should work ok.
Susan says
Hi I’d love to make this for an upcoming family holiday. Could I use almond cream cheese frosting instead? Also I have 2 8 inch pans. Should I bake two and bake the third layer in the pan when it’s cooled?
Olivia says
Hi Susan! You could totally use almond cream cheese frosting instead — I think that would be delicious! The recipe as is will work for two 8″ pans. If you want three layers, then I would suggest whipping up another separate batch of half the recipe. It’s not good to let cake batter sit out once it’s been made. I hope that helps!
Donna says
I have made this cake 3-4 times and am having a terrible time with it. Don’t get me wrong…the taste is amazing!(That’s why I keep trying!). But the cake never seems to be done at 35 minutes. It takes much longer. The center then falls and after 45 minutes or longer in the oven (about the time it’s on the verge of burning), I remove it from the oven. Clearly not done in the center. At this point, I just crumble it in a container and pour the syrup over it…can’t waste such good taste! But I really want it in a formed cake state. What am I doing wrong? I follow the recipe to a tee. I have been using European butter (I believe it has higher fat content). Could that be where I’m going wrong?
Olivia says
Hi Donna! That definitely sounds like something is off. Have you tested your oven temperature? Though it shouldn’t also be burning but then raw in the middle. It could be the butter – how much higher is the fat content? I recently had issues with a cake falling in the center due to using a nut flour which increased the overall fat. Also, are you at high elevation at all? That could contribute too.
CAROLYN L says
I followed this recipe with the exception of using two 9 inch pans for 2 layers instead of 3 and it came out wonderfully! Thanks for the great recipe!
Olivia says
Awesome, thanks for the tip Carolyn!
Jessica says
Hello! Is it 3/4 cup packed almond flour or just regular? I’ve noticed it’s really fluffy and could be packed, just wondering if you measured it packed or not 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Jessica! Good question, I did not pack it. I just spooned it into my measuring cup like I do with regular flour.
Mary says
Would love to see it being sliced! I’m afraid I’d make a mess of three layer but want to try.
Olivia says
Hi Mary! I find slicing my cakes cold with a hot knife works best.
Alina Groblicka says
Hi Olivia: Happy Holidays!
I am about to make the Almond Cake for my husband’s birthday (Dec 24!) and was wondering if chocolate filling (gnache) and chocolate frosting will work with the Almond Cake…
I would appreciate your comment.
thanks,
Alina
Olivia says
Hi Alina! Happy Holidays to you! I think that would be delicious, in fact, I have a similar cake here: https://livforcake.com/milk-chocolate-almond-cake/
Tessa says
Hi! Can I use cake flour, or all purpose flour instead of almond flour? I can’t wait to try this cake!
Olivia says
Hi Tessa! You can for sure but it won’t have as much of that almond flavour or texture. It will work though!
MasterCakes says
Thank you for recipe !!! Delicious cake,easy direction,great website.
Olivia says
Glad you liked it!
Jean Lopez says
Do you need to add flour for high altitude? If so, how much. I also had a problem with the cake falling apart. But the flavor is amazing. I want to pare this by stacking a white chocolate and almond amaretto cheesecake on top of the cake. This is for our 50th anniversary party.
Olivia says
Hi Jean! You definitely should make some adjustments for high altitude. It can take a bit of trial and error to figure out what works best for where you live. Here are some tips for high altitude baking: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Katie says
Hi Olivia! Can’t wait to make this. Can you tell me how many cups of batter it makes? I’m guessing about 6 cups? Thabks! 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Katie! I’m not totally sure, I’ve never measured it! But it would be around there.
Judy says
I made this cake and it came delicious! I brought a piece to my coworker who had just bought an amaretto cake for her birthday. She said that it was amazing! The frosting on this cake was the best I have ever had! I do not like frosting and scrape it off. Not this frosting!
Olivia says
So glad you liked it Judy!
Laura says
I’m making a three tier wedding cake. Does cake need to be refergirated if I use a basic white vanilla frosting ?
Olivia says
Hi Laura! I’m not sure what you mean — refrigerated at what point? For how long?
Susan says
I want to make this recipe so bad! Is it possible to omit the frosting? By doing so, will it take away for the final flavor?
Olivia says
Hi Susan! You don’t want to use any frosting at all? The cake will still be totally delicious, just less sweet overall.
Anne says
Hello! I am excited to try the recipe! However, I only have 9 inch pans. How long should I bake them for?
Olivia says
Hi Anne! Do you plan to increase the recipe at all? How many 9″ pans do you want to use? Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Anita says
Just made this today but frosted with a white chocolate ganache….it tasted wonderful but the cake falls apart very easily. It’s not dense or overly dry but it crumbles easily. Any idea why and how i can fix?
Olivia says
Hi Anita! Is it possible that the batter was overmixed? That can happen sometimes. Or was your almond flour not very fine?
Iris says
I am excited to try to make your cake
But I have sen several remarks about the batter being over mixed. I am new to making cakes so what should I do to not to overmix my batter using a Kichtenaide electric mixer.
Thanks so much.
Olivia says
Hi Iris! I would mix on low when alternating the flour and milk mixture and then when you add the last bit of flour mix only until just incorporated. I hope that helps!