Not your everyday Chocolate Cake

Ok...let's get this out in the open right now....

I am an Italophile.  I am not ashamed to say that Italy, to me, is the place of dreams.  Wonderful dreams filled with art, architecture and FOOD.   One day those dreams will become a reality.  But like all good things I have to wait (grrrrr!!)  So until then I try to incorporate little pieces of Italy into my life here in the good ole USA.

Best way to do this for me is through food - like you thought I was going to answer with anything else?  Ha!  Never!  No better way get acquainted with a culture then through food.

This brings me to one of my favorite food related pass times - strolling through the international food aisles at the market.  Finding new ingredients is so much fun and I can't help myself; picking up one or two enticing products is nothing unusual for me.  This last time I picked up amaretti cookies.  Having never tried them before I was surprised by their light, crunchy texture and the beautiful touch of almond.  I then remembered I had a recipe that included these little crunchy lovelies and I didn't think twice to jump in the kitchen and crank up the baking machine!

This cake has a fantastic crunchy exterior that hides the mouth-watering citrus-y center. Also I am fairly confident that it will surely be a hit with anyone who likes chocolate - and I mean who doesn't like chocolate?  So there you go a perfect, easy little cake that can be made in the blink of an eye.....oh and one more thing it doesn't ever require flour so no worries if you just ran out (like I have been known to do) you can continue with your baking plans as normal and enjoy the fruits of your labors!


Chocolate Amaretti Cake
courtesy Giada de Laurentiis 


3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup amaretti cookies (about 2 ounces)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
4 large eggs
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for sifting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with a nonstick spray.

Microwave the chocolate in 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate has melted and smooth.

Combine the almonds and cookies in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl, set aside. Add the butter and sugar to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Next add the orange zest and pulse, until incorporated. While blending add the eggs 1 at a time until they are incorporated. Make sure to clean the sides of the bowl a couple of times with a spatula.  Add the nut and cookie mixture and melted chocolate. I found it easier to pulse a couple of times in the processor and then pour the batter into a bowl and mix by hand a bit to make sure everything was evenly mixed.

Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the center puffs and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.

Transfer the cake to a platter. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.