Amaretto Chocolate Cake recipe

Amaretto Chocolate Cake 

This recipe is a twist on a simple chocolate sponge and is quick and easy to whip up if you're suddenly confronted with unexpected visitors over the festive season. It smells divine while it is baking and is especially delicious when served warm. You could also let it cool and ice it, but the flavours are already rich so that might be overkill - but then again, it is Christmas!

Ingredients
2 free range eggs
Demerera sugar
Butter, softened
Plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp drinking chocolate powder
2-3 tbsp Amaretto liqueur

Grease a cake tin and preheat the oven to about 200c.

I haven't put quantities for several of the ingredients above because this cake is made up according to the weight of the eggs. So first weigh the eggs (in their shells) and make a note. Mine weighed 116g together.

Set the eggs aside and weigh out the same each of sugar and butter (ie 116g of each). Beat the butter and sugar together until they are fluffy. This is so much easier if you have an electric whisk. We don't in the caravan so instead this was great exercise!

Put the baking powder and chocolate powder into the scale pan together and make up to the egg weight (that 116g again) with plain flour. (If you already have self-raising flour, use this instead and omit the baking powder.) Mix these dry ingredients into the butter-sugar until completely combined.

Break the eggs and mix them into the cake mixture until well combined, being careful not to over-whisk.

Amaretto Chocolate Cake 

Add 2-3 tbsp of Amaretto liqueur or enough to bring the cake mixture to a soft dropping consistency, ie when a little of the mixture will drop from a spoon by itself when the spoon is tipped. I admit I didn't actually measure here, just sort-of poured!

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Serve warm with cream or left-over liqueur butters.

I have only tried this cake with Amaretto which has an almond flavour, but I think most fruit or nut liqueurs would work well instead. Kirsch would add a cherry flavour or Frangelico would be hazelnutty - like Nutella spread! In fact, you could make two cakes, let them cool and layer them together with Nutella ... !