Amaretto chocolate torte - Gluten Free

Chocolate cakes are always popular regardless of the time of year and this is a recipe I have been using for quite a while even before I went gluten free, the resultant cake or should I say torte is not a natural beauty but it is light, moist and very chocolately. The addition of amaretto and almond essence make this an adult treat and a cake that can both happily be served with a cup of tea or cream for a dinner party.

Whipped up in a flash this is an easy reliable recipe, which despite having a fragile top (as you can see from the photographs) is happy to sit in a cake for a few days whilst its devoured. Its also currently a favourite as it uses a good quantity of eggs and the battle of the egg mountain continues, 3 hens equals 3 eggs a day most days and as we are a 2 person household that's a lot of eggs. We do give to friends but most of our neighbours keep hens too so the market is limited locally.

What you need

• 200g salted butter - chopped into chunks
• 200g dark chocolate - broken into pieces
• 4 eggs - large and free range
• 200g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour (Gluten free)
• 50g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp amaretto
• 1 tsp almond extract

Greased and base lined round cake tin, loose bottomed or springform is best about 22cm diameter

What you do 

• Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan over a very low heat, keep stirring so it melts and is smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar in a mixer until light frothy and the consistency of custard. This will take about 5 minutes.
• Add the chocolate and butter mix to the egg and sugar mixture and also the flour and almonds, fold in with a large metal spoon retaining as much air as possible.
• Once full mixed pour into your prepared cake tin and bake for 35 minutes until risen slightly and set in the middle. This is more of a torte than a cake.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin

This recipe is being linked to We should Cocoa created by Choclette and hosted this month over on Utterly Scrummy food, the theme this month is Gluten Free, so this cake qualifies.

                                                      

And I am also linking up to  Baking with Spirit , created by Cake of the Week and hosted this month over at The usual saucepans , the theme being a re-invented classic. This chocolate torte is a recipe I have had for a while but I have added the twist of amaretto and almond extract to give it an adult twist, its also gluten free too which is always a bonus.

                                                                 

And my final linky is to Alphabakes, with the letter D this month, so I am using Dark Chocolate as my entry into this challenge hosted by Caroline Bakes and More than the occasional baker.

                                                       

I am also linking up to Bake of the Week over at my fellow cakeclubbing WI member blogging chum Casa Costello 
                                                            

Chocolate & whiskey bundt cake

Last weekend I had a marathon baking session, to create some 'thank you' cakes for the care staff at my late Father in laws care home as way of a token of thanks. Amongst other cakes was this dark delight, with a more adult flavour. Dark and foreboding this is definately a cake I will be making again, drizzled with white chocoloate the contrast with the almost black cake is great. I am sure you could substitute other alcohol for the whiskey, maybe amaretto, rum or coffee liquer and it  would work as well.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cocoa , plus a couple of spoons for dusting your tin
• 1 1/2 cups of freshly brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup alcohol of your choice
• 1 cup of butter
• 2 cups of caster sugar
• 2 cups of plain flour
• 1 1/4 tsps of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 eggs - free range
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

• Use will need a 10" bundt tin or a round cake tin of a similar size
• Preheat the oven to 160c 
• Oil spray your tin and then dust with cocoa powder
• Combine the coffee, alcohol, butter and cup of cocoa in a saucepan, over a low heat melt and combine the ingredients
• Take of the heat and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved
• Allow to cool slighty
• Now mix all the flour, bicarb and salt in a seperate bowl.
• Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a jug, then whisk into the cooled cocoa mix
• Now whisk in the dry ingredients, until throughly mixed
• Pour into your prepared tin
• Bake in the oven for 40-50 mins, until tested cooked with a cocktail stick
• Cool in the tin for a couple of hours before removing from tin
• Once cooled drizzle with melted chocolate to decorate or sprinkle with icing sugar
• The cake keeps well and the moisture level and flavour improves.

I am refreshing this post to take part in Baking with Spirits challenge hosted by Janine who blogs at Cakeoftheweek.

                                               

In celebration of the Bundt, this post is being linked to National Bundt Day UK with Dollybakes