Last Updated on January 1, 2024
Today, we make a traditional New Orleans wedding cake recipe! It’s a delicious and easy almond and sour cream cake with a tender moist crumb.
And, we’ve only provided a basic recipe so that you can experiment with different decorating techniques too.
What You Need To Make This New Orleans Wedding Cake Recipe
Ingredients for the almond cake
- 5 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 1/4 cup cornflour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
Ingredients for the frosting
- 1 1/2 cups white shortening, softened at room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3-5 tablespoons milk, room temperature
Equipment
- Two 8 or 9-inch cake pans
- Non-stick baking paper
- Non-stick baking spray
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Rubber or silicone spatula
- Cooling rack
- Offset spatula
- Piping bag, optional
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Make the egg mixture
Preheat the oven to 360ºF (180ºC). Line two baking pans with non-stick baking paper at the base. Then, spray the sides with non-stick baking spray. Set them aside.
Then, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until they become foamy, for about 1 minute.
Once foamy, add a quarter of the sour cream, and both extracts. Whisk it in to incorporate it well. Set it aside.
Step 2: Make the cake batter base
Combine all of the dry ingredients inside a large mixing bowl. Make sure they are completely lump-free and mixed well. Then, add the softened butter and remaining sour cream.
Beat the ingredients on low speed until they are fully incorporated. Then, increase the mixing speed and beat the batter for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Finish the New Orleans wedding cake batter
Lower the speed of the mixer to low. Then, add a third of the foamy egg mixture. Mix it until it is almost fully incorporated. Then, add the next third of the egg mixture. Once it’s almost incorporated, add the final third.
Mix the ingredients together until your cake batter is uniform in consistency and smooth.
Step 4: Bake the cakes
Evenly divide the cake batter between the two lined cake pans. Then, bake the cakes for roughly 35-40 minutes. Always test whether or not the cakes are done before removing them from the oven.
After they have finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in their pans for 20 minutes. Take them out of their pans and allow them to cool completely at room temperature.
Step 5: Make the frosting
Next up for this New Orleans wedding cake recipe is a delicious almond buttercream frosting.
To start, cream the butter until it becomes light and fluffy. Then, add the powdered sugar. Beat the ingredients together at a medium speed. Once it is completely combined, increase the speed to medium-high and whip the buttercream.
After about 5 minutes, add the extracts and beat them in well. Then, adjust the consistency by adding milk. Don’t add all the milk at once. Slowly alter the consistency while whisking on a low-medium speed.
Step 6: Level the layers of cake
If your cake isn’t level or has jagged edges, take a couple of minutes to level all the areas. You can look at this guide to do so perfectly every time.
Step 7: Assemble your New Orleans wedding cake recipe
To start, place the bottom cake layer on a cake stand or board. Add a generous amount of frosting to the first layer. Then, smooth it out and make sure it’s level across the entire surface.
Add your next cake layer and again check whether it is level. Add a big dollop of frosting on the top and spread it to create a level smooth top.
Spread frosting around the sides and smooth it out so the sides are level as well.
Step 8: Decorate your wedding cake
All that is left to do for this recipe is add decorations and garnishes. This is entirely up to you and the theme of the event (wedding or otherwise).
We like to keep it simple and add a tiny border of piped frosting around the base and top edge of the cake. If you’d like, you can add some gum flowers to give it a romantic look.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- If you use unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt to the cake batter. Cake and frosting need salt to help create a balanced and flavorful cake. After all, salt is a flavor enhancer. It won’t make the cake salty. We promise!
- We highly recommend using white shortening for the frosting. It’s really the only way to get pure white frosting. Otherwise, you’ll need to buy icing whitener.
- Do not substitute the sour cream with an alternative. While there usually are other options that work for other recipes, for this New Orleans wedding cake recipe it should only be sour cream. It adds a unique texture, consistency, and flavor that almost no alternative can.
- When making any cake batter, it is crucial that you scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at all times. This ensures that all the ingredients are properly mixed. And that the cake bakes uniformly.
- For a traditional almond wedding cake recipe, we don’t color the frosting. However, if you love this recipe so much and want to use it for other events, feel free to add some gel food coloring.
- Many people ask “What frosting goes with almond cake?” The short answer is any frosting! There isn’t a special type. For a New Orleans wedding cake, you will usually add some almond extract. But it isn’t necessary.
Preparations Times And Servings
| Preparation Times | Baking Times | Servings |
| 30-40 minutes | 35-40 minutes | 6-8 |
A Flavorful And Pretty New Orleans Wedding Cake Recipe – Final Thoughts
Our New Orleans wedding cake recipe is easy to make and uniquely delicious. It’s not your average cake and will have your guests begging you for the recipe.
If you tried it, let us know what you think in the comments below! And, feel free to share your decorating ideas for this cake too!