Chocolate Coffee Cake

This recipe is one that I just happened across in a little cookbook called The Best Muffins & Quick Breads by Gregg R. Gillespie. I'm so glad that I found this recipe for a coffee cake made rich with chocolate, cream cheese, and dried apricots. Whether you're serving it for breakfast, snack, or dessert, it's always the right time for chocolate.

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Chocolate Coffee Cake

1/2 cup finely ground almonds, divided

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups dried apricots, finely diced

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons Amaretto liqueur (I substituted 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch pan. (I used a 10-inch springform pan.)

Press 1/4 cup of the ground almonds up the outer edges of the pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, blend together the remaining almonds, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and diced apricots. In a separate bowl, beat shortening, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the Amaretto (or almond extract). Combine the two mixtures, blending until the dry ingredients are just moistened.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. (My cake needed 60 minutes baking time). Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 7 minutes before removing from pan onto wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm.

Some ingredients you'll need are Dutch-process cocoa, cream cheese, almonds, and dried apricots. I used a food processor to grind the almonds.

Press 1/4 cup of the ground almonds up the side of the pan before filling with batter.

This Chocolate Coffee Cake is very unique with the combination of chocolate and dried apricots, and can be enjoyed any time of day.




This recipe was shared with:
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday
All My Bloggy Friends
Jam Hands Recipe Sharing Monday