Almond Joy Cake – chocolate almond cake layers with a coconut buttercream, toasted coconut and almond filling and chocolate ganache.
Almond Joy Cake
I’m so excited about this cake! But, I have to preface it by saying I’m actually not a huge fan of the candy bar, Almond Joy. It’s the coconut. I’ve never been a fan of raw coconut. Toasted coconut, on the other hand, is a whole different story. I can eat it by the handfuls!
So, when a few of my friends requested I come up with an Almond Joy cake, I was hesitant at first. I just wasn’t excited about a raw coconut filling, like the candy bar.
But lucky for us, my girlfriends were persistent and I eventually decided to add it to my list of cakes to make.
My Spin
As I thought about how I would put my own spin on this candy bar inspired cake, I knew I couldn’t use raw coconut. It had to be toasted coconut – which made me think of the coconut crack filling in my German Chocolate Cake, inspired by Milk Bar. Like this one, my German Chocolate Cake uses toasted coconut in the filling instead of raw coconut. I also decided to add some toasted almonds to the filling to give it some more texture and resemblance of an Almond Joy.
For the cake layers, you’ll see I use my go-to chocolate cake recipe and add a little almond extract. Feel free to add more extract if you like a stronger almond flavor. I use only two teaspoons for a subtle flavor, but I know some of you love almond extract and may want more. Make sure to taste test the batter along the way!
And instead of coating the cake in chocolate like the candy bar, I decided to use my coconut buttercream from my Coconut Key Lime Pie Cake. This frosting is out of this world! It’s so creamy and smooth, and the flavor is perfection.
Finishing Touches
To finish up the cake, I wanted to add a bit more chocolate in the cake. Within each layer, you’ll have some chocolate ganache, as well as a chocolate drip on top. I really like the balance of the not-so-sweet dark chocolate cake and ganache with the sweet and salty coconut almond filling and coconut buttercream.
I took one bite of this cake and about died! Honestly, I surprised myself with how much I like this coconut filled cake. Every bite is a little piece of heaven, if you ask me.
Here’s a quick stacking tutorial, with a fun little appearance by miss Avery. And, as always, instructions for assembly are in the recipe below.
hi,
so coconut cream is similar to whipping cream? like the texture ? what would be a good substitute?
The coconut cream I like isn’t the canned one. It’s the kind you add to mixed drinks. I actually shared it on my insta stories today. The best sub would actually be heavy whipping cream.
Hi, is the coconut almond filling like a crumble? Does it bake into a cookie-type bar & then you break it apart or what is the texture I’m going for and how do I use it? It is similar to a granola after baking? Also, where do you get coconut emulsion and what is it? I’m making this tomorrow with pecans instead of almonds and it looks SO good!! Can’t wait! Thanks so much!
You actually bake the filling without the coconut and almonds first. It’s a gooey consistency after it bakes and then you stir in the almonds and coconuts. Coconut emulsion can be found at Michaels sometimes or some grocery stores have coconut extract. but I got mine at Orson Gygi and Amazon.
Is milk powder the same as powdered milk?
yes
I don’t have coconut emulsion. Can I use extract?
What is coconut emulsion, and where do you find it?
It’s like an extract but it’s not made with alcohol and is a bit creamier in flavor. I got my coconut emulsion on Amazon, but if you can’t find it, you can use coconut extract.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised to see there was still plenty of filling left for the cake even after I ate so much of it before using. Man! That stuff is delicious! However, I barely had enough ganache and frosting for this cake. I haven’t had that problem before with any of your recipes, but this time I ran out. I wasn’t able to do any kind of piping or decorating on top. I would make extra next time for sure.
My recipes give you enough frosting for about 3/4 cup frosting between each layer and then enough to frost the outside of the cake – but if you want to pipe on the cake, you’ll have to add another 1/4 of the frosting recipe.