Nancy Naigle's Blog, page 7
March 8, 2024
RECIPE: Honey Almond Cake with Berry Cream
Here's the recipe from the back of The Secret Ingredient in an easy printable format (so you don't have so you don't have to rip it out of your paperback!)
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and watch the movie on Hallmark Channel!
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Almond Honey Cake with Berry Cream
This trendy naked-style almond honey cake with light whipped cream and seasonal berries is a refreshing summer treat. Both beautiful and tasty.
Follow this recipe, or hop down to the EASY BAKE ME version and still get praise!
Ingredients
Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup honey as a drizzle when assembling
Whipped Cream & Berries
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups fresh berries
Instructions
Prep your station
1. Let the honey, butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk come to room temp.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Grease three 8-inch round metal pans lined with parchment for easy cake removal.
Mix it up
1. In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In your mixer, beat butter for 1 minute on high speed until creamy.
3. Add sugar and beat on high speed for 2 more minutes until fully blended.
4. Add egg whites. Beat on high speed for about 2 minutes until well combined.
5. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and give a couple of good stirs with a spatula.
6. On low speed, mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
7. Slowly whisk milk into batter until combined. The batter will be a little thick.
Bake your cake
1. Pour batter evenly into cake pans.
2. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the cakes pass the toothpick test.
3. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before assembling.
Prepare Berry Cream
1. Using your mixer, whip your heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. It will take 3-4 minutes to get a good spreading consistency.
2. Fold in most of the berries, keeping some aside for garnish.
3. Use immediately or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before assembling your cake.
Assemble and serve
1. Level cakes to allow even stacking. Reserve cake crumbs.
2. Place first cake layer on your cake stand. Drizzle a thin stream of honey over the naked cake layer. Don’t be too heavy handed; you just want a bright little taste of honey. Evenly spread 1 heaping cup of berry topping over top. Repeat this step for second and third layers.
3. Garnish center of the top layer with fresh berries, and sprinkle some reserved cake crumbs around the cake edge.
4. Chill assembled cake, uncovered, for at least 2 hours to let cake and topping set before serving.
5. Serve and soak up the praise!
6. If by chance there are leftovers, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.
EASY BAKE ME A CAKE version
Almond Honey Cake with Berry Cream
Bake your cake
Follow the directions on any white cake box recipe and fill three 8-inch round metal pans with the batter. Not required, but I’m a fan of parchment paper for easier removal. Bake until done. Let cool.
Prepare Berry Cream
Mix frozen whipped topping, thawed in the refrigerator, with a tablespoon each of honey and almond extract, then fold in your berries.
Assemble and Serve
Set one layer on your cake stand. Level the top for nice easy stacking. You can use crumbs as decoration on the top or snack on them while you put this cake together. Drizzle honey in a thin line in a back and forth motion across the cake. You’re not covering the cake, just ribboning the honey across for a little extra sweetness.
Now heap a third of your berry cream on that layer, add the next cake layer and repeat, topping with the final cake layer.
This is a naked cake. The pretty berries will add a punch of color and the sides of the cake are meant to be revealed between the bright layers. Garnish with a decorative pile of berries.
February 8, 2024
Sweetest Cover Reveal!
Hey friends,
This isn't a brand new book, but you are going to love this cover reveal.
Here's the story. The Secret Ingredient was released back in 2019 with Hallmark Publishing. Sadly, the imprint shuttered its doors a couple of years ago, but thankfully I got the rights back to the story so I could republish it.
Huge thanks to Harpeth Road Press for re-releasing this lovely story, also a Hallmark movie, with this beautiful cover, and a new recipe. It's also at a lower price-point so if you passed on the paperback back then...it's a good time to get it now. It's also available under the KindleUnlimited program and the audio book is coming soon.
BUY NOW - https://amzn.to/42AecVd
If you've only seen the movie, I hope you'll grab the book. There are several other story threads not in the movie that I think you'll absolutely love. Who knows...we may go back to Bailey's Fork soon. ;)
Stay up-to-date on my next release and future movies by joining my newsletter at www.nancynaigle.com
Hugs and happy reading,
Nancy
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