When I was growing up, my mom would occasionally buy a Sara Lee Pound Cake along with a jar of Hershey’s Hot Fudge Sauce, and we’d have slices of it for dessert. Every once in awhile, I get cravings for that, although I will also eat pound cake plain–If it’s a really good pound cake. I’m kind of that way with cheesecake–A good cheesecake should stand on its own, and need no accompaniment…Just a cup of coffee on the side.

I got a craving for an Amaretto-based dessert, along with pound cake, and combined the two in this Amaretto Pound Cake.

I feel like I don’t use my Bundt pan often enough…But as you can see by the cake, they’re sometimes tricky when it comes to cake removal. Still, aesthetics aside, the cake tasted just fine.

I do admit, I wasn’t thrilled by the glaze, though. I suspect it was to help release the cake from the pan and make it extra-moist…However, it didn’t soak all the way through, as you can kind of see in the photo above. It’s a little more noticeable here:

In hindsight, I think rather than using a cooked glaze as the original recipe calls for, I should’ve just made a simple powdered sugar glaze with Amaretto, and drizzled it over the top of the cake. I’m changing the recipe to reflect that.

Yield: 12-16

Amaretto Pound Cake

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 1/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3-oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 C sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Amaretto
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/2 C flour
• 1/3 C sliced almonds
• shortening or additional butter, and additional flour, for the pan

For the Glaze:

• 1 C powdered sugar
• 2-4 Tbsp. Amaretto

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle the sliced almonds in the bottom, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed, 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar on low speed, then increase to medium speed and beat 2 more minutes.

Add in the Amaretto and vanilla, beating just until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined.

On low speed, gradually add the the flour, and mix just until combined.

Spread the batter in the prepared Bundt pan, and bake the cake for 1 hour. Check to see if it's done by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake. If not, continue baking for up to 10 more minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, before removing from the pan and cooling completely.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. of Amaretto. If necessary, add additional Amaretto to achieve the desire consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake, and allow to harden for 10 minutes before serving.

Even in spite of the not-so-great glaze, this cake was worthy of a hot cup of coffee and some sweet memories.

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