Amaretto Butter Cake with Pomegranate and Cream
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temp
- 3 cups All Purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup Amaretto
Cream Cheese Filling (optional, but so good):
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar – or more to taste
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp. Amaretto
Pomegranate Sauce:
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 4 Tbsp. granulated sugar
Whipped cream topping:
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean pod - seeds scraped, OR 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
Garnish:
- 3/4 - 1 cup of arils (seeds) from one fresh pomegranate
Instructions
For the Cake:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9” round cake pans with butter and set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, add 1½ cups sugar and 1 cup butter and beat until fluffy and smooth – approximately 4 - 5 minutes.
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Add one egg at a time, beating each until completely combined before adding the next.
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Add the flour, vanilla, baking powder, and milk, and using a rubber spatula, fold and stir gently just until batter is smooth. Do not over-stir.
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Divide batter into prepared pans, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few tiny crumbs on it. Check early to avoid overbaking.
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When done, remove cakes from oven and cool slightly in the pans for 5 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Pomegranate Sauce
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In a small sauce pan, add the 2 cups of pomegranate juice and 4 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer until liquid is reduced by half and becomes syrupy. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Filling
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In a mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and Amaretto, and beat until smooth.
Vanilla Cream
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In a mixing bowl, add whipping cream and vanilla bean seeds or paste, and beat until stiff peaks form.
Assembly
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Place the first cake layer on a pretty plate and slowly drizzle half of the ¼ cup of Amaretto onto the cake, allowing it to soak in.
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Spread half of the cream cheese filling on top of the first Amaretto-soaked layer, then top with a layer of whipped cream. Place the second layer of cake on top of that, and slowly drizzle the rest of the ¼ cup of Amaretto on that layer. Spread the other half of the cream cheese filling on top, and follow with a layer of whipped cream.
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Finally, drizzle some of the pomegranate sauce on top of the cake, allowing it to drip over the edges here and there. Sprinkle pomegranate arils on top of that, along with more sauce if you wish, or serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
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Now stand back, Oooh and Aaah for a bit to appreciate the work of art you’ve just created, and then cut yourself a nice, big piece of that deliciousness and enjoy!
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Cover and promptly refrigerate any leftovers.
Amaretto Glaze (for Mini Cakes)
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For the mini cakes, I just made a simple glaze by mixing Amaretto into 1/4 cup powdered sugar until it was the right consistency for drizzling. Start with 1/4 tsp. Amaretto and add more as needed, then spoon over mini cakes.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from the fabulous Sweet Paul.