This pretty Amaretto Bundt cake is moist, fluffy and uses no butter at all (except to grease the tin). Infused with flavours like Amaretto, marzipan, cocoa and vanilla, this cake is a perfect choice for Advent or Christmastime gatherings. Topped with chopped pistachios and dried raspberries, this beautiful Bundt cake would be the star of the show at any celebration.
Although I've drunk Amaretto on occasion, I'd never considered using it in baking until I started making this amaretto Bundt cake. Strangely enough, I love the taste of this cake even though I don't particularly like marzipan. I love that none of the flavours come over as overpowering, they mingle together nicely - just like guests at a good party!
My handed down German Bundt cake recipe doesn't come with any topping recommendations although, you could use anything that takes your fancy. I had a mix of pistachios and dried raspberries leftover from making these chocolate-dipped Christmas tree cookies so that's what I used to garnish the cake.
Substitution
If you can't get dried raspberries, dried cranberries would also work well for the cake topping.
Why is it called a 'Bundt' cake?
The name is derived from the Northern German word 'bundkuchen', which means 'a cake for a gathering'. In southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Bundt cake is known as 'Gugelhupf'. The 't' was added to the end of the word 'Bund' by the designer of the Bundt tin, Dave Dalquist so that he could trademark the name.
We eat this pretty Amaretto Bundt cake at German coffee time (tea time) on a Sunday during Advent.
If you're planning on baking this Amaretto Bundt cake, don't forget to look at the tips and FAQ below before you start.
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Table of contents
- Substitution
- Why is it called a 'Bundt' cake?
- Please Pin!
- How to make Amaretto Bundt Cake without butter
- Ingredients for the cake
- Ingredients for the topping
- Equipment
- Shop the post
- Instructions
- How to make the cake topping
- Amaretto Bundt cake FAQ
- 📖 Recipe
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How to make Amaretto Bundt Cake without butter
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Ingredients for the cake
See the recipe card for amounts
- Whipping cream
- Eggs
- Fine Baker's Sugar
- Vanilla sugar
- Salt
- Marzipan
- Milk
- Amaretto
- Plain Flour
- Baking powder
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
Ingredients for the topping
- Icing (confectioner's) sugar
- Milk
- Pistachios
- Dried Raspberries/Chopped dried Cranberries
Equipment
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Instructions
Grease a Bundt pan with butter. (My bundt tin is 25cm/9.8 inches in diameter).
Sift flour over the greased tin (optional).
Use a hand blender to blend the marzipan and milk until it has a smooth, creamy consistency. (If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk).
Whip the cream until it becomes thick. (Not until it's stiff)
With an electric mixer, mix two whole eggs with the sugar, vanilla sugar and salt.
Separate three of the eggs.
Add the three egg yellows to the mixture one at a time and mix well between each.
Pour the Amaretto and marzipan/milk mix into the Bundt cake mixture and mix.
Add the whipped cream and fold it into the Bundt cake mixture with a wooden spoon.
Whip the remaining three egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture with a wooden spoon.
Sieve the flour with the baking powder and fold into the mixture until all the flour is well incorporated and there are no lumps.
Separate a third of the Bundt cake mixture into a separate bowl and stir in the cocoa powder.
Pour the light batter into the Bundt cake tin, then pour the cocoa batter mixture over the top.
Use a fork to draw a spiral pattern through the Bundt cake mixture. Don't overdo this part as I did - see below.
Bake the Bundt cake at 170 degrees C / 350 F for approximately fifty minutes. The cake is fully baked when a knife inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out dry.
Allow the Bundt cake to cool in the tin for at least ten minutes before turning it out onto a plate or board.
How to make the cake topping
Once the cake has completely cooled, you can make the topping.
Mix the confectioner's sugar with the milk. You need the mixture to be nice and thick but it should still be runny enough to run down the side of the cake. If the mixture is too thin, it will become translucent and practically disappear once you put it on the cake. In this case, simply add more confectioner's sugar until the mixture thickens.
Using a tablespoon, scoop up some of the glaze and pour it onto the top of the cake. Allow the glaze to drip down the sides of the cake. Keep adding the glaze one spoonful at a time turning the cake until you are back to where you started.
Sift confectioner's sugar over the entire cake.
Immediately sprinkle the Bundt cake with your topping of choice. In my case, chopped pistachios and dried raspberries.
This moist, Amaretto Bundt cake is best enjoyed fresh.
DELUX VERSION: If you are feeling indulgent, add a dollop of freshly whipped cream!
Enjoy, with friends, family and your beverage of choice.
BAKING TIPS:
1. Allow the dairy products (milk and eggs) to come to room temperature before using. (Creates a better mixture).
2. Always add the eggs one at a time. Break them into a separate bowl before adding them to the mix. This way if anything is wrong with one of the eggs, you won't spoil the entire cake mixture.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder together to create a lighter cake mix.
Amaretto Bundt cake FAQ
It's always best to butter and flour the Bundt pan to avoid sticking.
To make sure that you cover all the nooks and crannies inside the cake tin, use melted butter and a pastry brush.
Insert a knife down into the thickest part of the cake. If the knife comes out clean (no cake mixture attached), the Bundt cake is done.
A Bundt cake will be easier to turn out if you allow the pan to cool for at least ten minutes. The cake will shrink a little and loosen itself away from the pan naturally.
If your Amaretto Bundt cake is dry, you probably over mixed the cake batter. As with any cake batter, it's always best to fold the flour mixture into the batter by hand using a wooden spoon. Mix gently, until there are no clumps of flour remaining and then stop.
If you wrap the cake very well, you could probably freeze it before frosting. Frosting does not freeze very well.
I have never tried to freeze this Amaretto Bundt cake. I bake it fresh on the day for which it is needed and there is rarely any leftover. If there is some cake left, I wrap it in aluminium foil and store it in the fridge. By the following day, it has usually all been eaten.
📖 Recipe
Pretty Amaretto Bundt Cake without butter
A pretty Amaretto Bundt cake without butter, infused with marzipan, cocoa and vanilla. It's a perfect cake for celebrations and gatherings.
Ingredients
- 250 ml / 9oz whipping cream
- 5 large eggs
- 200g / 7.1 oz Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 80g / 2.8 oz Marzipan
- 80 ml / 2,7 fluid oz milk
- 5 tablespoons Amaretto
- 250g / 9 oz Plain Flour
- 2 tablespoons Baking powder
- 30g / 1 oz Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 63 g / 2.2 oz / 1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk (For glaze)
- A handful of chopped Pistachios
- A handful of dried Raspberries or Chopped dried Cranberries
Instructions
- Grease a (measurement) Bundt pan with butter. Sift flour over the butter (optional).
- Use a hand blender to blend the marzipan and milk until it has a smooth, creamy consistency. (If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk).
- Whip the cream until it thickens. (Not until it's stiff)
- With an electric mixer, mix two whole eggs with the sugar, vanilla sugar and salt.
- Separate three of the eggs.
- Add the three egg yellows to the mixture one at a time and mix well between each.
- Pour the Amaretto and marzipan/milk mix into the Bundt cake mixture and mix.
- Add the whipped cream and fold it into the Bundt cake mixture.
- Whip the remaining three egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture with a wooden spoon.
- Sieve the flour with the baking powder and fold into the mixture until all the flour is well incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Separate a third of the Bundt cake mixture into a separate bowl and fold in the cocoa powder.
- Pour the light batter into the Bundt cake tin, then pour the cocoa mixture over the top.
- Use a fork to draw a spiral pattern through the Bundt cake mixture. Don't overdo this part.
- Bake the Bundt cake at 170 degrees C / 350 F for approximately fifty minutes. The cake is fully baked when a knife inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out dry.
- Allow the Bundt cake to cool in the tin for at least ten minutes before turning it out onto a plate or board.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, you can make the topping.
- Mix the confectioner's sugar with the milk. You need the mixture to be nice and thick but it should still be runny enough to run down the side of the cake. If the mixture is too thin, it will become translucent and practically disappear once you put it on the cake. In this case, simply add more confectioner's sugar until the mixture thickens.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop up some of the glaze and pour it onto the top of the cake. Allow the glaze to drip down the sides of the cake. Keep adding the glaze one spoonful at a time turning the cake until you are back to where you started.
- Sift confectioner's sugar over the entire cake.
- Immediately sprinkle the Bundt cake with your topping of choice. In my case, chopped pistachios and dried raspberries.
Notes
Allow the dairy products (milk and eggs) to come to room
temperature before using. (Creates a better mixture).
Always add the eggs one at a time. Break them into a separate bowl
before adding them to the mix. This way if anything is wrong with one
of the eggs, you won't spoil the entire cake mixture.
Sift the flour and baking powder together to create a lighter cake
mix.
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Kim Waldorf says
This bundt cake looks and sounds amazing! I am definitely going to try it. Thanks for sharing your special family recipe. Happy Holidays!
Jayne Westerholt says
Thanks, so much Kim! I'm sure you will love it!
Mary Anne Russo says
This looks gorgeous! Just beautiful!
Jayne Westerholt says
I'm so happy you like it!