Dianes Almond Joy Cake Recipes

ALMOND JOY CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour THREE 8 inch cake pans
• In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 1 minute to blend.
• Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk , oil and vanilla until blended.
• Method is important when using the Reverse Creaming Method. With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes at medium speed. Don't mix above medium speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
• Slowly add the cup of hot coffee and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The batter will be very runny. Don't worry!
• Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a rack and then turn out of the pans.
• *Yields approx 9 cups of batter.
• In a saucepan over medium heat add the milk, sugar and marshmallows.
• Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the marshmallows are melted. It is a slow process because you don't want the milk to boil. Use the back of the spoon to press the marshmallow to the side of the pan while stirring to speed things along.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut and coconut extract.
• Allow to cool completely before spreading between the layers. It can be made in advance and refrigerated.
• Put the chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.
• Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before stirring. Stir until all the chocolate pieces have melted. You could also use an immersion blender or hand mixer to finish blending, making sure that all the chocolate pieces have melted.
• Allow the ganache to completely cool to room temperature. When you take out a spoon full and it holds its shape it is ready to spread on the cake.
• At this point you could also whip the ganache, for a lighter consistency ganache. Using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, begin on low speed gradually increasing to medium speed, whip the ganache approximately 1-2 minutes or until it has lightened in color and is smooth.
• When assembling our three layer chocolate cake, we spread the first and second layers with a thin layer of chocolate ganache followed by a layer of our coconut filling.
• After placing the third layer, we frosted the cake in chocolate ganache and topped off the cake with coconut filling followed by a generous mound of flaked coconut.
• We pressed sliced almonds here and there around the sides of the cake towards the bottom.

ALMOND JOY® CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
• Combine chocolate cake mix, water, eggs, and oil in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 26 to 31 minutes.
• Mix 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, and marshmallows together in a large pot; cook and stir over medium-low heat until marshmallows are melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in coconut. Pour coconut mixture over hot cake.
• Combine 1/2 cup evaporated milk, butter, and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Fold in chocolate chips and almonds. Spread over coconut layer.
• Cool cake until coconut layer and chocolate layer are set, about 30 minutes.

DIANE'S ALMOND JOY CAKE

Steps:

• 1. FOR CAKE: Mix all cake ingredients in large bowl and beat 2-3 min. NOTE: if you can't find the duncan hines coconut cake mix try this; use a white or yellow cake and add a coconut pudding mix and 2-3 teaspoons of coconut extract. That has worked for several bakers posted in the comments. Good luck to all.
• 2. Pour into 2 9 inch layer pans and bake in 350* preheated oven for 28 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool 10 min. Turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
• 3. FOR FROSTING: Beat soft butter and cocoa till soft and well combined, add milk, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat 2 min until light and fluffy. (Add additional sugar 1 tablespoon at a time - if needed - until it reached spreding consistency. Do the same with milk if it's too thick.)
• 4. In two small pans spread your coconut and nuts and, stirring often, toast to a pretty light brown color. They will need watching as they will burn quickly. I do this as soon as I take my layers from the oven.
• 5. Place one layer on a pretty plate and spread a cup (more or less) of your frosting. Sprinkle coconut and almonds generously. Use most of the coconut and half the almonds.
• 6. Put on next layer and frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Sprinkle coconut around the top edge and along bottom. Sprinkle remaining nuts inside coconut circle on top. Whatever is pleasing to you.

ALMOND JOY CAKE

Steps:

• Cake Layers
• Heat oven to 355F.
• Grease and flour two 8" cake pans.
• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Sift the dry ingredients through a sieve to incorporate air. This step will give you a nice fluffy and spongy cake.
• Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 min.
• Add the dry ingredients little by little.
• Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
• Pour it into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 30-35 min or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Directions for the coconut butter cream
• Whip the butter on medium speed for 3 minutes until really smooth.
• Add the coconut extract and mix again.
• Mix in the powdered sugar little by little and whip until the sugar is incorporated well
• Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and whip well.
• Directions for the coconut filling
• Take 1 cup of the prepared coconut buttercream, powder sugar and grated coconut and mix well.
• To this mixture add 1/4 cup whipping cream and beat for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the sliced almonds.
• Directions for chocolate ganache:
• Place the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a heat safe dish. Boil water in a pan which is big enough to hold the dish with chocolate chips. Place the dish with chocolate chips over the boiling water allowing it to melt and incorporate with the heavy cream. Remove from heat when the chocolate completely melts.
• Allow the chocolate ganache to cool for 10 minutes.
• Assembling the cake
• Place the first cake on the cake stand. Spread the filling evenly on top (as shown in the picture collage)
• Carefully align and place the second cake on top.
• **If you are decorating the cake with frosting, set aside about 1/2 cup of buttercream.
• Frost the first coat of frosting on the cake, making sure that the cake looks even. The first coat of buttercream is called crumb coating and your cake might look similar to what you see in the collage shown below. It is perfectly fine if you see cake crumbs.
• Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minute - 1 hour
• Take the cake out and slather the remaining butter cream on the cake. Try your best to get a nice finish and a smooth surface. I used the Wilton decorating triangle on the side of the cake to get a contoured effect to iced cake.
• Once you are finished frosting the cake, slowly pour the ganache over the iced cake and let it flow over the edges of the cake for the dripping effect
• Fill the icing bag with the remaining frosting (I used the Wilton 2D tip) and decorate over the edges of the cake.
• Garnish with shredded coconut and sliced almonds.

ALMOND JOY CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Spread filling between cooled layers. Frost cake and enjoy!!
• 2. Cooks note: I double the frosting amount....just because everyone knows it is the best part!