Number Cake Recipe | Alphabet Cake | Cream Tart
Learn how to make a number cake, letter cake, or cream tart with this easy recipe + templates. Perfect birthday cake idea.
Servings: 12
Calories: 425kcal
Ingredients
For the Cookie Layers (Almond Shortcrust):
- 2½ cups All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Ground almonds (almond flour)
- ⅔ cup Powdered sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons Butter cold and cubed
- 1 Egg Large
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the Cream:
- 1¾ cups Mascarpone or cream cheese *read notes
- 1⅔ cups Heavy cream cold
- 1¼ cups Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract
For Decoration (choose freely):
- Macarons
- Strawberries or other berries
- Chocolate
- Meringue kisses
- Edible flowers
- Cookies of choice
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, ground almonds, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
- Add egg and vanilla, then pulse just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix. Transfer to the counter, gently bring into a dough disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the dough: Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment to about ¼ inch / 5–6 mm thickness. Chill the rolled dough for 20–30 minutes so cutting is easier.
- Cut the numbers: Place your printed number/letter template (see notes) on top and cut around it. Transfer the cut dough to a baking tray. Re-roll scraps, chill again, and cut a second identical shape. Each cake requires two cookie layers.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–13 minutes, until edges turn lightly golden. Cool completely before assembling; warm cookies will break.
- Make the cream: In a large bowl, beat mascarpone with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add cold heavy cream and whip until stable, fluffy peaks form. Transfer cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Assemble: Pipe cream dollops across the first cookie layer. Gently place the second cookie on top. Pipe another layer of cream and decorate generously. Chill at least 1–2 hours before serving so the layers soften slightly and slice cleanly.
Video
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes one number or letter cake with two cookie layers. For double digits (10, 25, etc.), double the recipe.
- Size guide: Using an A4 template (standard printer paper) with the number filling the whole page creates a cake about 11–12 inches tall, serving 8–12 people.
- Print templates in advance: Print and cut number or letter templates before rolling dough to make the process smoother. Download here.
- Use a kitchen scale: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe. The dough and cream ratios need to stay precise for clean cutting and proper structure, and measuring by weight gives consistent results every time.
- Mascarpone vs. Cream Cheese: Mascarpone gives the filling its light, silky texture and delicate flavor, making it the best choice for this cake. However, you can substitute with full-fat cream cheese if preferred. The result will be slightly tangier and a bit firmer, but still delicious.
- Don’t Over-Process the Dough: Once the dough starts coming together, stop mixing. Over-processing develops gluten and warms the butter, which can make the cookies tough instead of tender and cause spreading during baking.
- Cream stability tip: If serving outdoors, in warm weather, or just prefer a stable cream, you can stabilize the cream by adding: 2–4 tbsp instant vanilla pudding powder or 100 g melted & cooled white chocolate.
- Make ahead: Cookie layers can be baked 2–3 days ahead and stored airtight. They also freeze well for up to 1 month. Assemble the cake the same day of serving.
- Storage: This cake is at its best on the day it’s assembled, when the cookies are still slightly crisp and the cream is fresh and fluffy. You can keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 2 days, but keep in mind the cookie layers will continue to soften as they absorb moisture from the cream, becoming more cake-like and delicate.
- Transport tip: Assemble the cake directly on the serving board and transport chilled.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1045IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg