#EasterWeek ~ Amaretto Cream Cake

Welcome to day 6 of #EasterWeek hosted by Bernadette from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen. Today is our very last day of delicious Easter-ready recipes!

This week we have been celebrating Easter and Bernadette’s blogging anniversary with all kinds of delicious recipes and a giveaway! From appetizers to ham recipes, we have everything you need for a great Easter dinner or brunch, and one lucky winner will receive a $200 Amazon gift card. Make sure to look back over the past week of delicious goodies.

Today's recipe is incredibly easy thanks to a basic yellow cake box mix, and incredibly special with the addition of some delicious amaretto, luscious cream cheese frosting, and tangy and bright apricots for the filling. They come together to make a very elegant and delicious dessert that is definitely company worthy! I will absolutely be trying this one again soon, and there are a lot of ways I think you could play with the fruit filling - pretty much any berry would be delicious, though the apricot does add a nice punch against the richness of the cream cheese frosting. 

Today’s Deliciously Perfect Recipes for Easter

Appetizers
Deviled Easter Eggs from Forking Up

Desserts
Easter Sugar Cookie Pie from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Amaretto Cream Cake from Making Miracles

Easter Treats
Sweet Potato Braided Bread from Farm Fresh Feasts

Amaretto Cream Cake from Rick Walker on AllRecipes

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Filling
1 (15-ounce) can apricot halves, drained
3-4 TBS amaretto liqueur

Icing
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 round 9 inch pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, 1/4 cup amaretto and oil. Beat for 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour into 2 round 9 inch pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. When cool, slice each layer in half horizontally, making 4 layers.
4. Make apricot filling by combining drained apricots and 3-4 tablespoons amaretto in a blender (a stick blender in the can, after draining, works well). Process until smooth. Place bottom layer of cake on serving dish. Spread 1/3 of apricot filling on cake layer, then repeat with other layers. Frost with Amaretto Cheese Frosting.
5. To make Amaretto Cheese Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 3 tablespoons amaretto until soft and cream cheese is smooth. Add confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Frost top and sides of cake.

NOTE / SUGGESTION: I found the filling layers to be a little too dry, and the frosting to be a little too excessive so would highly recommend taking about a cup of the cream cheese frosting and blending it with the apricot mixture and then using that to frost between layers, before covering with the remaining cream cheese frosting. I will definitely be trying it that way next time I make this cake!

Giveaway open April 3 - April 17, 2017 to residents of the continental U.S. age 18 and older. This giveaway is sponsored by Bernadette Martin of Rants From My Crazy Kitchen. No affiliation with the cookbook authors is implied. Winners will be announced on April 18 and will have 48 hours to respond. Prizes will be shipped no later than May 1, 2017. 

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