Chocolate Amaretto Cake. Mmmmmmm.

This cake is seriously good! In fact, a colleague of mine described it as 'divine'. How can you not make this!?!

I found this recipe in 'The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook'. The Magnolia Bakery is a supercool bakery in New York - I haven't been there ............... yet. The recipe says to bake it in a 10 inch bundt pan. However, I baked it in 3 sandwich tins & layered it with chocolate ameretto buttercream. Next time I'll also layer toasted flaked almonds with the buttercream, it will give it a nice texture.

If you're wondering what on earth I put on top of the cake - I attempted to make fondant roses. They were okay. More practice needed. Crushed amaretti biscuits or flaked almonds would probably be better.

I used silicone sandwich tins but I think hard ones would be better.

Mmmmm amaretto (also very good with diet coke!!)

Recipe (adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook):

Cake:

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarb of soda

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup (tightly packed) light brown sugar

4 large eggs at room temperature

6 oz dark choc (I used 40% cocoa)

1 cup milk

3 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tblsp Amaretto liqueur

Buttercream:

300g icing sugar

100g unsalted butter at room temperature

40g cocoa powder

a glug of amaretto

Cake. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water).

Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4. Line your pans with greaseproof paper. In a bowl sift together the flour & baking soda. Set aside.

In another bowl (a big one!) cream the butter & sugar with an electirc whisk until light & fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each one. Allow the melted chocolate to cool a little (chocolate scrambled eggs anyone?) & slowly add it to your wet mix making sure it is well incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk & extracts folding well after each addition. Add the amaretto. Your mixture should be smooth.

Add your mix to your tin/tins & cook for 45-50 mins if using 1 big tin or 30 mins if using small tins. Cover with foil halfway through baking. Let them cool in the tins before turning them out. DO NOT use buttercream on warm cakes it will run faster than Linford Christie doing the 100m. I'm showing my age aren't I?!

Buttercream. Just mix the butter with sugar & cocoa powder with an electric whisk. Start slow or it will go everywhere! Add the amaretto til it is the consistency of grouting for tiles. Taste as you go (you have my permission), if the amaretto flavour is getting strong & it's still too thick, use a few drops of milk.

Layer & enjoy!!!!!!