An elegant classic Greek cake made with layers of almond sponge cake, a creamy Bavarian filling, airy whipped cream, and crunchy almonds!
We’re getting fancy today with a Greek Almond Cream Cake known as Tourta Nougatina. It’s sold in bakeries throughout Greece and is so beautiful. Almonds are pressed into the sides of a delicious homemade almond whipped cream, which covers layers of moist almond sponge cake, dreamy Bavarian cream, and more whipped cream.
I want to show you the easiest way to make it at home so you can serve it at all of your special occasions. You can make most of the layers ahead of time before assembling the cake, and you can even freeze the entire cake. Once you’re ready to decorate, I keep it simple and beautiful so it’s ready in no time.
Why is this perfect for special occasions?
Moist, tender,
Soft almond cake
Luxurious, creamy
Almond Bavarian cream,
Light, creamy, almond
Whipped Cream
Crunchy, nutty, toasted Almonds
An almond lover’s dream!
What are the ingredients for the cake?
Almond flour -the best way to give pure almond flavor to an almond cake, plus it creates a tender crumb.
All-purpose flour -mixing the flour together makes the perfect cake texture.
Baking powder -helps make the cake rise and keeps it light in texture.
Cornstarch -to make the cake light.
Salt -to enhance all the flavors of the batter.
Eggs -separate the eggs so we can use the egg whites to help create a lovely, light, airy cake and the yolks to help create a smooth batter and springy, moist cake.
Granulated sugar -you can also separate this to use half with the egg whites and the other half with the yolks.
Light olive oil -you substitute your favorite light vegetable oil.
Pure vanilla extract -use a good quality for the best flavor.
Pure almond extract -same here… use a good quality for the best flavor.
What do I need to make pastry cream?
Whole milk -the base of the pastry cream, so be sure to use whole milk.
Corn starch -I use this instead of flour to thicken the pastry cream without the floury flavor.
Granulated sugar -perfect to sweeten the cream.
Salt -just a pinch to balance the sugar.
Egg yolks -add rich flavor and provide the structure for the pastry cream.
Heavy cream -creates the luscious creaminess.
Vanilla extract -this is the prominent flavor for your pastry cream, so good quality is essential.
What are the ingredients for homemade whipped cream?
Heavy cream -the best cream to use for whipped cream to hold its shape longest.
Confectioner’s sugar -sweetens the cream without the graininess of granulated sugar.
Vanilla extract -balances out the almond perfectly.
Pure almond extract -adds to the almond flavor of the cake.
What are the simple syrup ingredients?
Water -the base for simple syrup.
Granulated sugar -melts into the water to make it sweet and syrupy.
Almond extract -it is an almond cake, so it’s in everything.
What garnish options could I use?
Toasted sliced almonds -this is the most traditional decoration for Greek Tourta Nougatina. It’s beautiful and lets everyone know just what’s inside.
Maraschino cherries -the flavor pairs so well with the almond, but you can use sour cherry preserves, blueberries, or your favorite decoration.
What do I prep before making the cake?
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C. Grease 3 (8-inch round) baking pans and line them with parchment paper. Whisk together the almond flour, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a bowl. Then, add the egg whites to the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Save the yolks in another bowl. Whip the whites on high speed until they get frothy, and slowly add half of the sugar. Whip until a stiff meringue forms and transfer to another bowl.
How do I make Almond Greek Cake known as Tourta Nougatina?
Add the yolks to the mixer with the sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and whip on high speed until thick and creamy. Slowly fold in the meringue, and then, at low speed, add the flour mixture in a few batches until incorporated.
How long do I cook the cake?
Divide the batter between the three prepared pans and bake on the center rack for 10-15 minutes. They are ready when springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes to release from the sides of the pans and set aside to cool completely.
What do I do with the cake after it’s baked?
When cool, either remove the cakes from the pans (discard the parchment) and wrap them in plastic to freeze or set aside to decorate.
How do I make pastry cream?
Pour the milk into a saucepan with half of the sugar. Heat until scalding hot. In a bowl, whisk the yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cream until smooth. Then, slowly add a small bit of the hot milk to the eggs while constantly whisking, and return the tempered egg mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Whisk together and then pass it through a strainer into a bowl. Cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator.
How do I make simple syrup?
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the almond extract. Set aside until ready to use.
How do I make homemade whipped cream?
Add the cream, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract to the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whipping at a low speed, and once it thickens, increase the speed to high. Beat until the mixture is thick and creamy. Over-beating will cause the cream to split.
Is there Bavarian cream, too?
Yes. Place 2 cups of pastry cream in a bowl and add a cup or two of whipped cream. Whisk together until incorporated.
How do I assemble an almond cream cake?
Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip attachment with whipped cream. Place an almond cake layer onto a golden cake board and brush the cake layer with the syrup. Pipe a circle of whipped cream around the edges of the cake and then fill the center with half of the Bavarian cream. Place another cake layer on top, pipe a circle of whipped cream around the edges of the cake, and then fill it with the remaining Bavarian cream. Then, place the final cake layer on top and brush it with the remaining syrup.
How do I frost and decorate the cake?
Frost the cake with the whipped cream. Then, Press sliced almonds onto the sides of the cake. Pipe whipped cream rosettes over the top of the cake and decorate with maraschino cherries or sour cherry preserves.
Can I make the cake ahead?
- The Cake Layers can be baked and cooled. Then, remove them from the pan, discard the parchment paper, and wrap them in plastic. Just like with my Italian Cream Cake, you can freeze the cake for up to a week or two.
- The syrup can be made 3-4 days ahead of time and stored in a jar in the refrigerator.
- The Pastry cream can be made 3-4 days ahead of time and refrigerated.
- The whole cake can be assembled, frosted, and frozen before decorating. Simply chill it in the freezer until frozen and wrap it in plastic. It will keep fresh for up to a month. Thaw it in the fridge the day before you want to serve it. Then, ice it with fresh whipped cream and decorate it before serving.
How do I serve it?
Just like my Black & White Cake slices need to set, chill the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for a few hours for the layers to set. It is incredibly beautiful, but you have to cut it to taste how delicious it is. Serve with hot Greek coffee, and enjoy. Kali Orexi!
Watch the Video:
Greek Almond Cream Cake: Tourta Nougatina
Tourta Nougatina is a classic Greek cake made with layers of almond sponge cake, a creamy Bavarian filling, whipped cream and almonds. Perfect for a special occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (200g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (75g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
The Pastry Cream:
- 4 cups (1liter) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (80g) corn starch
- 1 and 1/2 cups (375g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream:
- 4 cups (1 liter) heavy cream
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
The Syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Garnish:
- 200 grams toasted flaked almonds
- optional: Maraschino cherries
Instructions
Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Grease 3 (8-inch round) baking pans and line them with parchment paper.
Combine the almond flour, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the egg whites. Save the yolks in another bowl.
Whip the whites on high speed until they get frothy and slowly add half od the sugar. Whip until a stiff meringue forms. Transfer to another bowl.
Add the yolks to the mixer with the sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and whip on high speed until thick and creamy. Slowly fold in the meringue and then on low speed add the flour mixture in a few batches until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the 3 prepared pans and bake on the center rack for 10-15 minutes. They are ready when springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean.
Run a knife around the edges of the cakes to release from the sides of the pans and set aside to cool completely.
When cool, either remove the cakes from the pans (discard the parchment) and wrap them in plastic to freeze or set aside to decorate.
Make the Pastry Cream:
Pour the milk into a saucepan with half of the sugar. Heat until scalding hot.
In a bowl, add the yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cream and whisk together until smooth. Slowly add the hot milk to the eggs while whisking and return everything to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Whisk together and then pass it through a strainer into a bowl. Cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator.
Make the Syrup:
In a small saucepan add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from heat and add the almond extract. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Whipped Cream:
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the cream,sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Begin whipping over low speed and once it thickens increase the speed to high. Beat until the mixture is thick and creamy. Over-beating will cause the cream to split.
Make the Bavarian Cream:
Place 2 cups of pastry cream in a bowl and add a cup or two of whipped cream to it. Whisk together until incorporated.
Assemble the Cake:
Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip attachment with whipped cream.
Place an almond cake layer onto a golden cake board and then brush the cake layer with the syrup. Pipe a circle of whipped cream around the edges of the cake and then fill the center with the with half of the Bavarian cream. Place another cake layer on top, pipe a circle of whipped cream around the edges of the cake and then fill it with the with the remaining Bavarian cream.
Place the last cake layer on top and brush it with the remaining syrup and frost the cake with the whip cream. Press, sliced almonds around the sides of the cake. Pipe whipped cream rosettes over the top of the cake decorated with maraschino cherries or with sour cherry preserves. chill the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for a few hours until it sets. Serve with Greek coffee enjoy.
Kali Orexi!
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions:
The Cake Layers can be baked and frozen for up to a week or two. Once they've been baked and cooled, remove them from the pan, discard the parchment paper and wrap them in plastic then freeze.
The syrup can me made 3-4 days ahead of time, stored in a jar in the refrigerator.
The Pastry cream can be made 3-4 days ahead of time and refrigeratted.
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