Nut cakes are a nice change of pace from the usual vanilla or chocolate. Some nut cakes are made with a basic cake batter and flavored oils, and some have ground nuts in them, so there are a lot of ways to incorporate nuts into the cake if you want to serve something different.
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Almond cake flavor combinations.
Almond is a classic wedding cake flavor, but it’s usually made with almond extract in a basic white cake batter. I used to use a recipe that had almond oil and ground nuts in it, and it’s just better than white cake with almond flavoring.
Whichever you use, you won’t go wrong by pairing an almond cake batter with flavored Italian meringue buttercream, fruit preserves, truffle fillings, or fresh fruit.
Almond coconut
Almond-flavored cake with coconut filling and chocolate buttercream. This is a nice combination for a summer wedding or a tropical-themed party.
You could also do this combination with a white cake batter and almond and chocolate fillings.
Almond raspberry
Almond cake with raspberry filling and amaretto buttercream.
I used to do an almond cake that had layers of raspberry preserves and amaretto Italian meringue buttercream to go with it, and it was one of my most popular flavor combinations.
The sweetness of the icing pairs well with the tart raspberry flavor, and the amaretto in the icing really elevates it.
Almond cherry blossom
Almond cake with maraschino cherries and amaretto buttercream.
This is a REALLY good combination. Layer the cake with amaretto buttercream, then sprinkle it with a layer of chopped maraschino cherries. Make sure to drain the cherries well before putting them on the cake so that the cake layers don’t get soggy.
Almond raspberry white chocolate
Almond cake with white chocolate ganache filling, raspberry preserves, and amaretto buttercream.
This can end up being really sweet, so maybe do one layer of the white chocolate ganache, two layers of the raspberry preserves, and put the amaretto on the outside of the cake.
Almond orange zest
Almond cake with orange marmalade filling and amaretto buttercream.
For this combination, you can either use the marmalade directly as a thin layer of preserves between the torted layers, or you can add the marmalade to the buttercream. Alternate it with the amaretto buttercream and cover the cake with the amaretto too.
For a list of chocolate cake flavor combinations, click here!
Hazelnut cake flavor combinations.
I found a cake recipe in an old cookbook that was so versatile, I was able to use it for multiple different types of nut-flavored cakes. Hazelnut was one of the best ones, it’s rich and buttery, and the flavor goes well with Frangelico liquer-flavored Italian meringue buttercream or with anything chocolate.
Chocolate hazelnut raspberry
This is a nice combination whether you use fresh raspberries or raspberry preserves. The tartness of the berries go well with the nutty flavor, and adding a chocolate filling will enhance both of those ingredients.
Hazelnut chocolate truffle
Hazelnut cake with a chocolate truffle filling and Frangelico-infused meringue buttercream on the outside of the cake. This is a delicious combination, especially if you use a hazelnut cake batter that’s rich and buttery.
Hazelnut toffee temptation
Hazelnut cake with toffee crunch filling and Frangelico and caramel buttercream.
A hazelnut cake that’s combined with alternating layers of Frangelico and caramel buttercreams that have a thin layer of crushed Heath bar on them is beyond description. So good.
Chocolate hazelnut fudge
Hazelnut cake with Nutella and Frangelico buttercreams.
Make the cake layer, torte it, then add two layers of the Nutella Italian meringue buttercream and a layer of Frangelico Italian meringue. Finish it off with either the Frangelico or the Nutella buttercream on the outside depending if you want it to be more chocolate or more hazelnut.
Hazelnut espresso
Hazelnut cake with espresso-infused buttercream and Frangelico buttercream.
This is definitely a coffee-lover’s flavor combination, so it might not be everyone’s first choice. But if you do like coffee with hazelnut, it will end up being something that you crave.
Layer the hazelnut cake with the Frangelico and espresso buttercreams, using more of one or the other depending on how you want to balance the flavors. You can also leave the Frangelico out and just use the coffee buttercream.
Pecan cake flavor combinations.
Pecan cake isn’t something that most people expect, but it works fine with the recipe that I used to use. You can use it to make a cake version of a few different classic pecan desserts.
Pecan praline perfection
Pecan-flavored cake with caramel buttercream.
Making an Italian meringue buttercream with caramel ice cream topping in it will give you a delicious caramel-flavored icing that you can use as a filling.
If you torte the cake layers you can include three layers of the buttercream, and the combination of the pecan cake and caramel icing will give you a nice praline flavor.
Pecan cinnamon roll cake
A cake version of a pecan sweet roll, you can add cinnamon to the batter and pair the cake with a sweet vanilla American buttercream to mimic the flavor.
Take it up a notch by sprinkling a layer of crushed pecans on the vanilla buttercream in the inner filling layer of the cake.
Chocolate pecan
Think of a chocolate turtle candy with pecans in it…Then make a pecan cake with chocolate fillings and caramel buttercream. Yep.
Click here for my nut cake recipe!
Walnut cake flavor combinations.
Walnut is a pretty strong-flavored nut, so you need a strong-flavored filling combination to go with it. You can also go sweeter with white chocolate.
Maple walnut
Walnut cake with maple buttercream filling.
Bake two layers of walnut cake, torte them into four thinner layers, and fill the cake with a maple-flavored buttercream.
Top the outside of the cake with crushed walnuts if you want to decorate the cake in a rustic way and give it a little extra crunch.
Walnut white chocolate
Walnut cake with white chocolate truffle filling is a good choice. It can be a little sweet, but some people really like that.
Walnut white chocolate orange
This is similar to walnut white chocolate, obviously, but the addition of a layer of orange marmalade or orange buttercream (Grand Marnier liquer is delicious in Italian meringue buttercream) give it an extra twist.
For a list of vanilla cake flavor combinations, click here.
Macadamia cake flavor combinations.
Macadamia white chocolate raspberry
Macadamia cake with a white chocolate truffle filling is delightful. Add a couple of layers of raspberry preserves or raspberry buttercream, and you make it that much better.
Macadamia fudge
Macadamia cake with chocolate fudge or chocolate buttercream.
This was one of my most popular cake flavor combinations because it’s unusual. The cake itself was soft and buttery, and the fudge filling was a strong chocolate flavor, so it was very rich and delicious.
Macadamia chocolate cherry
Add Italian meringue buttercream to layers of macadamia cake and either chocolate fudge or chocolate buttercream for an unexpected flavor combination that will make people wonder why they haven’t been eating it all the time.
