By Chocolate Almond Wedding Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups, 5 sticks, butter or margarine, softened.

3 cups sugar

8 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almonds

3/4 cup cocoa

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup milk

2 teaspoons almond extract

Creamy buttercream frosting (recipe at bottom of page)

1: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour one 12-inch-by-2-inch and one 6-inch-by2-inch round baking pan.

2: Beat butter and sugar in large bowl of heavy duty mixer until fluffy. Gradually add eggs, beating until well blended.

3: Stir together flour, almonds, cocoa and baking powder. Alternately add with milk to egg mixture; beat until well blended. Add almond extract, continue beating until fluffy. Spoon extract, continue beating until fluffy. Spoon 2 cups batter into prepared 6-inch pan; spoon remaining batter into prepared 12-inch pan.

4: Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in each cake comes out clean and cakes begin to pull from sides of pans. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

5: Repeat steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 for second layer of 12- and 6-inch cakes.

6: Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans. Repeat steps 2 and 3, but divide batter evenly into prepared 9-inch pans.

7: Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in each cake comes out clean and and cakes begin to pull from sides of pans. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

To assemble:

You will need to triple this recipe to complete this three-layer wedding cake.

Once cake mix and frosting are prepared, assemble the cake.

1: Prepare a cake board or use large serving platter.

Place bottom layer of each tier on a cake circle or foil-covered cardboard piece cut to fit; secure each cake to a circle with a few strokes of frosting.

2: Fill and frost two layers for each tier. You will now have three frosted two-layer cakes; 12, 9, and 6 inches.

3: Place frosted 12-inch tier on cake board securing with a few strokes of frosting. Gently press 8-inch plate or circle into top of 12-inch tier to imprint circle; remove. Cut seven 3 3/4 inch lengths from a 1/4 inch diameter wooden dowel rod, spacing evenly within circle as desired.

Recipe makes about 90 servings, without top tier.

-Courtesy of foodeditor.com