While I may not be a huge fan of plain chocolate cake, I can certainly sing the praises of chocolate cake with some added interest. Cinnamon, cream cheese, peanut butter, or, in this instance, a liqueur.
I found this cake recipe while flipping through The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. As you well know, I do love to make a Bundt cake. Plus, there’s chocolate and amaretto. How could I go wrong?
The cake is wonderfully rich and moist. The amaretto and chocolate are a wonderful combination. One bit of warning: If you’re not a big, big fan of amaretto, then you might want to cut back on the amount in the recipe. Not only is there a lot of amaretto, there is also a good bit of almond extract. We really liked the result, but it definitely has a strong amaretto/almond flavor.
As another option, I’m sure some other liqueurs would work well for this cake. Kahlua, Frangelico, or Bailey’s would all be interesting options. What liqueurs do you like to use in baking?
39 responses so far ↓
1 Nick // Aug 28, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I’m not a fan of plain chocolate cake either, there’s just something missing. And it’s strange because I’m pretty much a chocolate snob with my dark chocolates. Even the Magnolia chocolate cupcakes aren’t great in my opinion, I always get the vanilla. Amaretto sounds like the perfect addition, chocolate and almonds are unbelievable together.
I never use liquors in baking, I need to start trying it, I’ve heard it adds so much flavor. Great recipe!
2 Monica H // Aug 28, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Delurking to say this looks luscious!
I found your blog a few days ago and I love your recipes.
3 Katie // Aug 29, 2008 at 12:51 am
Oh yum this looks delicous. I’m a huge amaretto fan - the more the merrier. It goes so well with chocolate
4 Morgana // Aug 29, 2008 at 1:01 am
Oh, my! I love Amaretto, I must try this recipe. And Frangelico too.
I usually work with something like Madeira Sponge Cake (is the best for carving and cake decorating) and I love to add some liqueur, like baileys or a very alike liqueur made with rum instead of whisky. I love using “crema de orujo” liqueur as well. And some times a little bit of sherry and “ron miel” (honey rum). Oh, and don’t forget Kahlua or Cointreau… Just a little touch of this liqueurs can add a different touch to your cakes and desserts.
5 stella // Aug 29, 2008 at 3:32 am
Yum, that looks really good!
I like to use Cointreau too, because that flavour is simply unique. And Rum is my favourite liquid ingredient, because you can always make a dessert taste totally different with just this hint of alcohol.
6 Kevin // Aug 29, 2008 at 6:18 am
This cake sounds really good with chocolate and almond flavours.
7 Laura // Aug 29, 2008 at 7:45 am
Been lurking too - this looks too good not to make. I love almond flavor and with chocolate, OMG, sounds like heaven.
8 Rachel // Aug 29, 2008 at 7:57 am
This looks amazing, and it makes me wish I wasn’t one of those annoying people with an aversion to almond flavoring. I love almonds, hate almond flavoring. I wonder if I could make it with some really good orange essence instead?
9 Anna // Aug 29, 2008 at 11:16 am
Well, I generally like icing. However, this is a cake I will definitely make for a teachers’ luncheon or something like that. It looks like something you can slice up neatly and arrange on a plate. Plus, teachers always like a little Amaretto around noon-time. ;).
10 Hannah // Aug 29, 2008 at 11:37 am
Mmm. Almond and chocolate! This looks like something my mother would like! I’m going to make it sometime!
11 roey // Aug 29, 2008 at 12:17 pm
how would these translate as cupcakes?
12 quinn // Aug 29, 2008 at 1:29 pm
@roey, I’ll leave the technical answer to Jennifer, but I can’t shake the image that cupcake versions of these would be like those tiny, little bottles of booze they used to (still do?) serve on airplanes. In other words: cute, portable, and awesome.
13 jennifer // Aug 29, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Nick, I am definitely a chocolate snob, too. And it’s getting worse all the time!
Monica, thanks for commenting!
Katie, amaretto is wonderful with chocolate. Or on its own. Or in an amaretto sour.
Morgana, you sound like quite the liqeuer expert! I’ll know who to come to with any questions.
stella, my grandmother always made the very best rum cake for the holidays. Yum!
Kevin, it’s delicious!
Laura, thanks for commenting! Good to see some de-lurking going on here.
Rachel, I think you could change the flavors around very easily. Maybe orange essence and Cointreau? Let me know if you try it.
Anna, I think most every job makes you want some amaretto at lunch time.
Hannah, I hope you like it!
roey, I think Quinn sums up the idea of cupcakes very well. Little bite-sized ones would be great for entertaining.
14 Carol // Aug 29, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Oh my….chocolate and amaretto-what a delightful combination….and in a cake? All the more delightful! I can’t wait to try this one!!!!!
15 Kim // Aug 30, 2008 at 5:00 am
Jennifer, here I thought I was alone in not being a fan of chocolate cake! This sounds like a great recipe for those of us that fit into that catergory. It also looks very moist and I always like the result I get using a bundt pan. Thanks for the inspiration.
16 bakingblonde // Aug 30, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Oh yeah, that looks like a winning recipe!! I rarey make goods using Amaretto, but this looks amazing!
17 jennifer // Aug 30, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Carol, I hope you like it!
Kim, you’re welcome. It’s a wonderful twist on chocolate cake.
Thanks, bakingblonde.
18 Nan (and Jim) // Aug 31, 2008 at 7:35 pm
This looks so good! One day when I get my nerve up I might try it w/ the Frangelico! You have made me a big fan of that!! Did you put ice cream on top, too? Bet that would be good with the amaretto.
19 the caked crusader // Sep 1, 2008 at 1:46 am
what a great photo - you can see the moist lovely texture of the cake.
20 jennifer // Sep 1, 2008 at 11:00 am
No ice cream, Nan. That would have been good, but I don’t think it needs it. It’s good all on its own.
Thanks, caked crusader!
21 Holly // Sep 1, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I’ve been wanting to make a rum cake, but now I might try this instead!
I bet Chambord would be an interesting variation for fans of the chocolate raspberry combo.
22 giz // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:49 am
My expertise is eating. My love is Magnolia Bakery. Your bundt with the fabulous combinations is da bomb - what more can I say.
23 jennifer // Sep 2, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Holly, Chambord sounds like a great idea. I do love raspberries.
Thanks, giz!
24 Ethan // Sep 4, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Chocolate Earl-Gray Bundt Cake. It’s amazing in the same way. I infuse a little whipping cream with earlgray as well and whip that up to go with it. This looks great. I love chocolate and almond.
25 Susan // Sep 4, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Jennifer, I swear, I print out recipes from blogs every day, but yours seems to be the one site from where I make them *immediately* (rather than putting them in the endless “to make” file). This one did not disappoint - my hubby is a huge amaretto fan and I think he wants to renew his vows now!
26 Bakerella // Sep 4, 2008 at 10:19 pm
That bite’s just right for me.
27 jennifer // Sep 5, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Ethan, that sounds interesting!
Susan, thank you so much. Glad it was such a success!
Bakerella, for me, too.
28 Michelle // Sep 5, 2008 at 6:47 pm
How do you think it would turn out if I just used the almond extract and omitted the liqueur? It looks delish as is — but I always seem to embellish things with ganache on top. Yum!
29 Hélène // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:16 am
This looks so yummy & delicious.
30 jennifer // Sep 6, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Michelle, give it a shot. I think it will work just fine.
Thanks, Helene!
31 Kathy // Sep 6, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Oh, it’s good! I made it this afternoon after reading the recipe which I followed exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. Of course we had to have a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top!
32 angel // Sep 7, 2008 at 10:58 am
um…yes please?
33 jennifer // Sep 7, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Kathy, I’m glad you liked it. I kinda wish we’d had some ice cream. Yum!
Thanks, angel.
34 kimberly // Sep 9, 2008 at 11:39 am
I ran out and bought the anniversay bundt pan at Williams Sonoma (clerk said bundt cake pans are measured by batter - not inches, but she measured it as a 10″). I made the cake, baked for 45 min and cake tester came out clean, but the cake shrunk more than half it’s size while cooling. It tasted okay (covered in ganache) but, was it supposed to shrink like that or did it not get done?
35 jennifer // Sep 9, 2008 at 6:24 pm
kimberly, as most cakes cool, they will shrink. That’s not unusual at all.
36 stacy // Sep 10, 2008 at 9:53 am
AS SOON as I checked your website and found this recipe, I ran out and made it! Sure, I felt like an idiot buying 4 tablespoons of amaretto (not my liquor style), but it’s all done!
Anyway, I’m new to cake baking and I’m learning as I go and just in case this tip helps anyone else (my grandma said it should have been a no-brainer, but I sure didn’t know it): use shortening, not butter or spray, to grease the bundt pan. This cake is so moist and it just works better. =)
For icing, I just used a VERY small amount of butter-cream, melted to the consistency of water, and drizzled it around the outside to make it look marbled. I don’t even LIKE chocolate cake but it looked so good I had to eat it. =)
37 Kristen // Sep 13, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Oh you are killing me with all of this chocolate! Another YUM
38 jennifer // Sep 13, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Thanks, stacy! I don’t use much shortening. I like Baker’s Joy or some other spray with flour. That drizzle sounds delicious!
Thanks, Kristen!
39 Stephanie // Oct 19, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Amaretto is a great idea–sweet and a little spicy. My friend has an amazing chocolate Kahlua cake…wonder if this could be used in a similar way?
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