Chocolate Amaretti Cake

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

  • Total time:

  • Portion/Yield:

    Serves 10 -12

  • Difficulty:

    Easy

Inspiration for this recipe cake from Janie Turner form UK thermomix. I use the thermomix to make the cake and frosting however the non-thermomix methods are also below just in case you do not have one. I love almonds and the flavour of the amaretti biscuits with the chocolate is simply fantastic. The chocolate glaze is divine too, rich and decadent. This is a cake recipe for all seasons however if you have a few cherries in the summer it will work a treat, fold 80g stoned cherries into the cake batter and bake as per the recipe below, a wonderful seasonal treat. If you prefer to serve this as a pudding instead of a cake, then bake the cake in a shallower oven dish and pour over the chocolate glaze once the cake comes out of the oven, serve warm with pouring cream.photo of Chocolate Amaretti Cakephoto of Chocolate Amaretti Cakephoto of Chocolate Amaretti Cakephoto of Chocolate Amaretti Cake

Ingredients & Method

For the chocolate amaretti cake

  • 220g softened butter + extra for greasing the cake tin
  • 1tsp bitter dark cocoa powder
  • 110g amaretti biscuits
  • 60g dark chocolate, broken in pieces (70% bitter chocolate)
  • 60g plain flour
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 5 large free-range eggs, separated

For the chocolate glaze

  • 100g dark chocolate, 70% bitter chocolate chopped
  • 100ml single cream

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Grease a 17cm x 6cm spring form cake tin with butter and dust cocoa powder.

For the cake batter, thermomix method: Weigh the amaretti biscuits, chocolate and flour directly into the Thermomix bowl. Grind it on speed 8 until powder, tip out and set aside. Weighing 150g of the sugar directly into the TM bowl and grind the sugar for 5 seconds on speed 10. Add the butter and mix together, gradually increasing to speed 5 until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and insert the butterfly whisk and beat on speed 4 until light and creamy. Add the yolks one at a time through the hole in the TM lid onto the running blades at Speed 3. Add the amaretti mixture to the TM bowl a little at a time, through the hole in the lid with the blades running at Speed 3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside while whipping the meringue.

Wash the Thermomix bowl, lid and butterfly with hot soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly. It is important that the bowl and whisk are grease free at this point. Weigh 50g of the remaining sugar into the TM bowl and grind the sugar on speed 10 for 5 seconds, add the egg whites and whip for 10 seconds on speed 10, this will make the egg whites foamy and make the whipping process easier. Scrape the sides down and insert the butterfly whisk and whisk the egg whites for 1 minute 3 seconds on Speed 4 until the meringue forms stiff, but not dry, peaks.

Add about a quarter of the egg whites to the remaining cake batter in the bowl and stir to loosen the consistency, then fold in the rest of the whites.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Do not over bake; the cake should be moist.

Let the cake cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes before you loosen the sides and remove the cake, let the cake cool further on a cooling rack while making the glaze.

For the cake, non-thermomix method:

Place the chocolate in the freezer to get really cold. Crush the amaretti biscuits in a pestle and mortar and mix the amaretti crumbs with the flour. Grate the really cold chocolate on the finest side of a grater (the reason for chilling it is so that it does not melt too quickly as you hold it in your hands) and mix the finely grated chocolate with the amaretti and flour mix, set aside.

Cream the butter and 150g of the sugar until pail and fluffy, add the egg yolks one at a time, beat well after each addition. Add the amaretti and chocolate mix and gently fold it into the creamed butter.

In a separate bowl whip the egg whites with the remaining 50g of sugar until soft peaks, fold the whipped egg whites into the butter mixture.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepare cake tin and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Do not over bake; the cake should be moist.

Let the cake cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes before you loosen the sides and remove the cake , let the cake cool further on a cooling rack while making the frosting.

For the chocolate glaze, thermomix method:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces, place the chocolate in the TM bowl and grind it at speed 10 for 10 seconds until a powder. Add the cream, set the time for 4 minutes at 70°C, speed 3, scrape the sides down.

Place the cake on a cooling rack and pour the chocolate frosting over the cake, let the frosting cool and set,  garnish the cake with chocolate shavings.

For the chocolate glaze, non-thermomix method:

Chop the chocolate into small pieces, set aside. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, as soon as the cream starts to boil remove it from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate, stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Place the cake on a cooling rack and pour the chocolate frosting over the cake, let the frosting cool and set,  garnish the cake with chocolate shavings.

Cooks Notes

If you have 2 TM bowls, leave the cake batter in your first bowl and use the second bowl to whisk the egg whites. Then add a quarter of the whites to the first bowl (with the Butterfly Whisk still in it) and mix a few seconds at Speed 2 to loosen the mixture. Add remaining whites and mix at speed 2 to fold them in. Easy!