Cake Recipe Review: Toasted Almond Supreme

Occasionally I’m adventurous and try out a new recipe. Actually, it is more accurate to say that when I throw five plus birthday parties a year, in addition to various parties, holidays, and get-togethers, I get a little bored with plain frosted kiddy-cakes and I’m looking for an easily-made great tasting treat. Last year my great find was a doctored-yellow mix pumpkin cake with a cream cheese/whipped filling and caramel drizzled over the top (see Pumpkin Recipes for Thanksgiving article here). It was an instant favorite I made for everything.

This year when my husband’s birthday came around, I was in more of a chocolate mood and decided to try a recipe from Favorite Brand Name Recipes Party Cakes (2002, Publications International, Ltd.). This is a book of cake recipes put out by Favorite Brand Name Recipes, found in grocery store checkouts and published 24 times each year; this recipe was in the May 21, 2002 edition. Publications International, Ltd. graciously granted me permission to reprint the article for you here.

The recipe was for a cake dubbed ‘Toasted Almond Supreme’. It starts with any boxed devil’s food cake mix, to which you add the regular ingredients, but substitute some of the liquid with strong, black coffee. After baking, the middle and top layers are spread with warm, pourable raspberry jam. The entire cake is frosted with a chocolate whipped cream, instructions included with the recipe, then covered with sliced, toasted almonds. A fresh raspberry garnish is optional.

The Recipe, Please…
Toasted Almond Supreme Cake
Ingredients:
1 package Devil’s Food Cake Mix with ingredients to mix
1 ¼ cups strong coffee
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups whipping cream
¾ c powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ c seedless raspberry jam
(optional) fresh raspberries for garnish

Instructions:
Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, but substitute strong coffee for 1¼ c of the liquid. Prepare 2 round 9 inch cake pans by spraying the bottom with cooking spray and lining the bottom with wax paper. Bake according to package directions. let cool for 15 minutes, then remove onto wire racks and cool completely.

Spread sliced almonds onto a baking sheet in single layer and bake at 350 for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove & let cool.

Whip whipping cream in medium bowl with electric mixer. Beat on high until soft peaks form (1 ½ to 2 minutes). Add powdered sugar, coca and vanilla. Beat approximately 20 seconds more, until stiff peaks form.

Put one cake layer on a serving plate. Warm the jam in a microwave until it can be poured. Spread ¼ cup jam over the cake layer, and add the second cake. Spoon jam over the second cake top. Frost the entire cake with the chocolate whipped cream.

Sprinkle the toasted almonds all over the top and sides of the cake. Press sliced almonds gently into the side of the cake to make them stay. Garnish with fresh raspberries if desired. Loosely cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.~~~
Now that we are all salivating, I will tell you, the results were excellent. The cake comes out moist, with just the right mix of fruit and chocolate (actually mocha, with the coffee). The chocolate whipped cream topping is delicious, and just what the grown-ups ordered, not at all too sugary or sweet.

I’ve actually made this recipe minus the jam and berries, too. My husband’s birthday is in November, when fresh berries are questionable at best, and he’s not big on sweet fruit spreads. The cake is just as good as a mocha-almond supreme. He prefers it, votes not to change a thing. Unfortunately, the kids have discovered that this cake is better than theirs, and they’ve taken to it, too.

So what are the drawbacks to this recipe? Nothing, really, but there were a couple of sticking points.

The recipe directions give no indications of how to prepare, or how strong to make the coffee. You have to fool with it a couple of times to figure out how muddy of a brew to make. For my first attempt, I made the coffee in my drip a little less than twice as strong as usual. Subsequent attempts I’m trying stronger brews. I’m finding the chocolate is overpowering the coffee flavor; it’s there, but pretty much only if you know to taste for it. I’d like to achieve a true, mocha taste. As long as it’s still liquid, I’m not sure you could make the coffee too strong.

The other trouble? The almonds. Directions say to sprinkle them all over the top and sides, and gently push them in using the palm of your hand. Without spending an hour or two meticulously placing each slice, there’s no way to get a result like the picture in the book, with no trace of whipped cream showing (and no one would want to eat a cake I spent an hour putting nuts on and licking the cream from my fingers in between). This is nothing major – the cake still looks and tastes great sprinkled with almonds and showing gaps of whipped cream. I’m willing to bet it might even be a little better this way – sans the almond overkill.

All in all, we love this cake, and I intend to keep at it until I get it perfect. Toasted Almond Supreme is a versatile recipe that was loved by everyone who ate it. Toasted Almond Supreme looks and tastes like you spent hours on a gourmet recipe, but it takes just minutes to make. Unfortunately, though, there aren’t any leftovers…