This is a post from December 2018, a long, long time ago when I was at the very start of my blogging journey. I will leave the original recipe below, but I’ve made updates and changes to it and truly believe they are an improvement, hope you enjoy it.

It’s now February 2026 and in Israel, we are running up and down to our shelters due to the war with Iran. As a matter of fact, I had to pause this post a few times in order to run downstairs with DH and join the denizens of our building (many of whom are elderly) on our hard plastic chairs, both late at night and early in the morning. An amazing array of pajamas and robes and slippers were on display. That’s one way to get to know your neighbors. May G-d grant that we will soon go back to normal and as in the story of the holiday of Purim of old, our enemies will be vanquished.

We had been on a visit to Florida, a place we go to relax and a friend of mine, Nancy, told me to check out a bakery named the Gifted Crust and after having tasted the challah, cinnamon buns and sourdough bread, said yowza – I’m on this. So I moseyed on down to the shopping area and went into the shop all agog to see what they had on offer. After happily picking out cinnamon buns and challah rolls, I spotted these thick slabs of cake with a white icing that looked ridiculously good. What’s that? I asked. Amaretto cake. Well! Lord love a duck, it’d been ages since I’d had it or made it myself. I chose a slice (really, a slab) and carted it off feeling rather triumphant at my win. DH spotted it and didn’t seem impressed. It just looked like a piece of cake. I replied, nope! it’s Amaretto cake! Suffice it to say, while we happily noshed on the cinnamon buns, this was such a winner with the hubby that he insisted I make it at home, but it HAS to be with the lemon icing that they used in the shop. What can I say? I’ve been training his palate for years and the man was right! Lemon icing is just plain awesome. And so, I present to you the new version. A note. This is a highly hydrated or super moist cake with a lot of liquid. This is what gives it its unctuous taste and incredible mouthfeel, so don’t mess with those proportions BUT! the cake can develop a dip in the center. This is why the temp of the oven is lower and why I cut down the baking powder etc. It’ll still dip but should only be somewhat and it don’t matter none cuz it’s sooooooooooooooo good. An old/new fave.

Btw, the old version was made in a bundt pan and this is made in two loaf pans. I got the idea of doing this initially from the bakery but it also works extra well for us since we are often just 2-3 people for Shabbat and even when we are a somewhat bigger crowd this serves 6-8 (loaf pan) nicely. Then you can freeze the second one and it freezes fabuloso well. Or, for the really bigger crowd, you can go with the bundt. And if the bundt has a dip it’s really no big since you’re gonna flip it to the pretty side up anyway.

So gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 325 F/165-170 C. Know your oven, if it runs cool you can try to bake on 170 C, hotter 165 C but in Fahrenheit stick with 325.

In a bowl of a mixer, place the eggs, Amaretto (almond flavored liqueur), orange juice and vanilla pudding mix and beat together.

Add the sugar (pudding mix is in there already)

Beat well and lastly add the flour and baking powder.

beat smooth but don’t overbeat.

This is not too liquidy but definitely not thick. Like so

Okey dokey. Take two 9 x 5 in (23 x 13 cm) loaf pans and oil spray them and then line with a parchment paper strip down the middle of the pan. (see in pic above). You will use the parchment like handles once cake is cooled to lift out of pan (after running a knife along the edges of the cake). You don’t need to cover the whole pan with parchment, this works and prevents sticking to the bottom. Pour the batter more or less evenly between the two pans and pop into preheated oven. Bake about 45-55 minutes and check carefully with a toothpick in at least two spots to make sure the center is completely cooked through. This is a very “wet” cake and may need more time. Should the top get a bit dark (totally depends on your oven) you can lightly cover pans with a bit of tin foil and complete the baking that way.

While baking, prepare the icing. Mix in a small bowl the powdered sugar, the lemon juice and lemon peel and stir vigorously together till a shiny white icing forms with the yellow flecks of the lemon zest.

Remove cake from oven when done and let start to cool in the pan on a wire rack. While still just out of the oven, pour your icing over the cake. This is different than the previous version. What you are doing is having some of the icing absorbed by the hot cake but most will remain on top and will harden as it cools giving you a lovely crackly topping.

What can I say, we brought down cholent, kugel, rugelach and this cake to the shelter on Shabbat when there was an alert and sirens and not a crumb of anything was left. Then two ladies sidled up to me and asked me if I made that cake with the icing? and asked for the recipe. And yeah, that lemon icing is the best thing since sliced bread. May we have a quiet, peaceful and joyous Purim.

Amaretto Cake with Fresh Lemon Icing

4 eggs

1/3 cup (79 ml) amaretto liqueur

2/3 cup (158 ml) canola oil

2/3 cup (158 ml) orange juice

2/3 cup (80 grams) dry vanilla pudding mix

1 3/4 cups (346 grams ) sugar

2 1/4 cups (312.50 grams) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Icing:

1 1/4 cups (140 grams) powdered sugar

1 1/2-2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest or peel

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F/165-170 C (depending if your oven runs cool or hot). Oil spray and line 2 loaf pans, 9 x 5 inches or 23 x13 cm with a long strip of parchment paper down the middle of the pans. When cake is cool, you will use it as “handles” to remove cake to wire racks after running the knife around the edges.

In mixing bowl place eggs, amaretto, orange juice, oil and vanilla pudding mix. Beat together well. Add sugar and beat. Add flour and baking powder (I prefer to mix them together in the same bowl I measured flour into) and beat till smooth, don’t overbeat. Pour batter more or less evenly between the two loaf pans and bake for 45-55 minutes or until cake checked in two places with wooden toothpick come out clean. While cake bakes, prepare icing by mixing powdered sugar, lemon peel and lemon juice together. Start with lesser amount of juice, adding enough to make icing thick but spreadable. When cake is done, remove in pans to wire rack and pour the icing evenly between the two pans while cake is still hot. Some will sink into the cake while the rest forms a nice crackly white icing. A wonderful cake.

** Original post and recipe.

The first time I tasted this cake was when we moved in to our house 11 years ago.  My friend and neighbor Ditza was so kind as to send her daughter over with this fresh baked cake right before Shabbat to welcome us to the new section of the neighborhood.  It was spot on since I’d had no time to prepare anything and the cake was out of this world.  It looks like a simple yellow cake but is truly yummy.  

Of course, after Shabbat, I asked for her recipe. She told me it was her daughter’s recipe and generously gave it to me and I have been making it for over 11 years always to rave reviews. This cake has an icing on top which I sometimes feel is gilding the lily since the cake is exceptionally moist and doesn’t really need this addition, however, it adds another dollop of flavor.

I have used all different types of liqueur as the taste base for this cake (Drambuie was kinda nice) and the last time I discovered I was out of almond liqueur I found a lovely nougat one which added a richness of flavor.

Oft times someone will eye the cake and (since I usually offer two kinds of dessert) hesitate since it seems like an ordinary yellow cake. At that point I correct this misimpression and say, “Try a piece! It’s so worth it!”. And it is. I just made this for my niece’s 7 brachot, said those very words to a nephew and he took a piece. I nearly didn’t get a picture of the cake it started going so fast!

It’s also ridiculously easy to make and a one bowl recipe What more can one ask?

Amaretto Cake

4 large eggs

1/4 cup amaretto or almond liqueur (you can use other flavorful ones as well)

3/4 cup orange juice – I try for fresh but when not available, bottled or reconstituted will do

3/4 cup canola oil

1 package vanilla pudding mix (NOT prepared)

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flour

Orange-Amaretto Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put into the bowl of a mixer the eggs, amaretto, juice, oil and vanilla pudding mix. Beat together for approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the sugar, baking powder and flour and beat together till fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed in. Spray a bundt or tube pan with oil and then flour the pan lightly tapping out the excess to prevent the cake from sticking. Pour the batter into the pan, scraping the bowl with your spatula. Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes (check with a toothpick to make certain the center is fully baked, if need be, add another 5-10 minutes baking time). Remove from oven and cool on wire rack till cold.

Prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, juice (a teaspoon at a time) and liqueur (also a teaspoon at a time) in a small bowl. Okay so I lied, another bowl but a little one 🙂 Then drizzle with glaze. Make sure the cake is truly cold otherwise the cake will absorb the glaze.