Foodie Friday: Amaretto Cake

Are you drooling yet?

I mean, I know the title is what drew you here in the first place...Amaretto...Amaretto...AMARETTO!!! 

So let me assure you that this cake IS as delicious as it sounds.

The first time I tried it, I ate half of the cake...BY MYSELF.  It was embarrassing, yes.  And then I went for a run to 'justify' it....which probably only burned about 2% of the calories I had ingested...but I felt better about it, at least.

If you are looking for a low-fat, low-calorie cake recipe, then you are in the wrong place.  But if you are looking for a DELICIOUS cake recipe? Well then, read on...

The original recipe is called "Wine Cake" because the recipe calls for sherry wine...but I like to mix it up a bit in the kitchen (and my girlfriend who shared this recipe was out of sherry and made it with amaretto the time that I ingested half the cake, so I kind of had a little bit of a bias towards amaretto over sherry anyways).  You can make it however YOU want to...be bold like that!

Wine Cake

 (shared by Natalie...who is not in the blogging or even **gasp** Facebook World!!)

1 box yellow cake mix (she recommends Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake)

1 small box instant vanilla pudding (I used sugar free instant pudding cuz that's how I roll)

3/4 c. oil

3/4 c. Crm Sherry Wine (I used amaretto here instead....3/4 cup might be a bit much if you aren't big on a 'liquory' tasting cake...which we are FINE with in this house)

4 eggs

Beat all ingredients together for 5 mins

Bake at 325F for 40-45 mins.  I baked mine in a bundt cake pan that was sprayed with FLOURED baking spray (which I just learned about recently and SWEAR by now).

After baking it, I decided that this cake needed a glaze to it, so I decided to make an almond glaze to top it with.  I think it added a nice touch, but you can go without it if you so desire.

Almond Glaze

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 TBSP milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix powdered sugar, almond extract and 1 TBSP milk.  Stir in milk 1 tsp at a time (I just went ahead and added the 2nd TBSP of milk and it was a perfect consistency), until of drizzling consistency.  Makes 1/2 cup or enough to drizzle over one 10-inch tube cake (or bundt cake in my case).  Let cake stand 2 hours before slicing.

Garnish with strawberries or other berries if desired.

And ENJOY! (Just maybe not HALF the cake, m'kay?)