Amaretto Bundt Cake

My mom used to make this cake fairly often. It's simple because it starts with boxed cake mix and also doesn't require frosting. It's also incredibly delicious if, like me, you love amaretto. Mom always used yellow cake and vanilla pudding mix, but I think it's just as good (and maybe better, actually) with chocolate cake and chocolate pudding mix. The recipe is the same either way, so feel free to experiment. I bet that a pineapple cake would be delicious with this recipe actually. I suppose you could also use other types of alcohol, too. You could make a screwdriver cake with orange cake mix and vodka or maybe a strawberry margarita cake with strawberry cake, a bit of lime juice, and tequila. If you give it a try, let me know how it works out.

There are two different methods you can use for the glaze. My mom would always poke holes in the cake while it was still in the pan and pour the glaze over it. After letting it cool, she'd take the cake out of the pan, flip it over, and pour any remaining glaze over the top. This method gets that amaretto flavor right into the middle of every slice because the glaze is thin enough to soak in through the holes. The drawback though is that because the glaze is thin, it doesn't stick to the outside of the cake very well if you pour it over the top after taking it out of the pan. Alternatively, you can thicken the glaze by adding extra sugar/cutting down on the amaretto, but then it's not thick enough to get it inside the cake. My solution is to combine these methods by using some of the glaze inside the cake like my mom did and then thickening the remainder with extra sugar to make it into a glaze that can be poured on top better. Compromise--it's a wonderful thing.


Ingredients

1 box cake mix
1 pkg instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 c water
1/2 c oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
5/8 c amaretto, divided (Disaronno suggested)
1 1/2 c powdered sugar, divided


Directions

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, almond extract, and 2 tbsp amaretto in a large bowl. Mix until just combined. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. (Use cocoa powder in place of flour if you're making a chocolate cake.) Spoon batter into bundt pan. Drop pan lightly on a sturdy surface a few times to help force out any air bubbles in the batter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 and bake for 20-40 minutes more. (The time can vary greatly depending on your particular bundt pan.)

Meanwhile, combine the remaining amaretto with 1 c powdered sugar, and beat well to remove any lumps. Remove cake from oven, and while still warm, poke holes in the surface. (A skewer or thin meat thermometer works well for this purpose.) Drizzle half of the amaretto glaze over the cake being sure to get some in each of the holes you've made. Allow the cake to cool 10-15 minutes, and then invert the pan on to a platter and gently remove the cake. Beat remaining powdered sugar into glaze and pour over the top of the cake.


Servings: 16