Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 20-25 minutes + cooling Decorating: 30 minutes

Happy Holidays! This is the first of the posts dedicated to one of my favorite activities: baking. I’m hoping to make a lot of things up as I go and so with this one we have a homemade gold/butter cake, butter cream and almond caramel for a crunch surprise with some more fun for decorating. Let’s jump into this.

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup softened butter

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup milk

• Red food coloring

Buttercream Icing

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 1/3 cup softened butter

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

• ~2 tbls milk maybe more

• Green food coloring

Crunchy center

• 1/2 -1 cup smashed almonds

• 1 jar caramel topping spread (important that it’s spreadable)

Prep

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C)

2. In a large enough bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix it around

3. In another bowl, add the butter and sugar and mix it well. This should end up crumbly

4. Add the eggs and beat until it’s smoothing out

5. Add the vanilla and repeat

6. Add the milk and make a smooth, creamy batter

7. Add the flour mixture and finish off this mixture into full on cake batter

8. Add the food coloring a few drops at a time until you get to the shade you’d like.

9. Take two 9 inch circle baking pans and spray with non stick spray

10. To make the wreath shape I used 2 small ramkins with a touch of water in them and poured the batter around (even amounts in each). You want any oven safe round object that you have 2 of or just cut out the center afterwards.

11. Bake for 20-25 minutes

12. Let cool completely before icing

Icing

1. To make the icing add the powdered sugar and butter to a bowl

2. Use a hand mixer if you have it and mix this with a whisk on a low setting. It will get a weird crumble texture

3. Add in the vanilla and 1 tbls of milk and mix

4. Keep mixing to see how it turns and if too dry add more milk, if too thin, add more powdered sugar

5. When you’re happy with it, add the food coloring a couple drops at a time until happy with the shade

Caramel Almond

1. To make the inside layer, add the almonds to a bowl and pour the caramel on top. Mix it well

Assemble

1. Decide which of the two cake parts will be the bottom and use a knife or cake cutter to flatten the top

2. Spread the almond mixture on top

3. Add the next layer

4. Ice the cake

5. Take a spoon and press lightly at an angle to make textures to simulate the leaves and texture of the wreath

6. I added cinnamon sticks to make the sticks and used cookie icing to try and draw holly on to give a more wreath look

Afterthoughts

This tasted so decadent I loved it. Butter cakes are such a special take. The almond caramel gave a great sweetness to a more savory taste with all the butter. This was so good. I wasn’t as happy with my decorations but I am happy that I’m learning patience and moving forward with it. I am so happy about this cake. It is a fun cake to serve that will bring smiles. The soft cake with the crunch is a great contrast though the caramel did eventually melt into the cake.