Amaretto Cake With Buttercream Frosting

desserts

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Ingredients

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup amaretto

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 1/2–8 cups confectioners’ sugar

2/3 cup amaretto

Optional decorations: toasted sliced almonds, milk chocolate M&M’s, melted chocolate.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottoms of three greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.
In a bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk sour cream, milk and amaretto until blended. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extracts. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beating well after each addition.
Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat butter, vanilla and salt until creamy. Beat in enough confectioners’ sugar, alternately with amaretto, to reach a desired consistency. Reserve 2/3 cup of frosting for the piping.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with ½ cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layers and frosting; frosting top and sides of cake.
Pipe reserved frosting around bottom edge of cake. If desired, decorate the cake with flowers, using almonds for the petals and M&M’s for the centers. Pipe designs with melted chocolate as desired.