Amaretto Bundt Cake with Toasted Almonds and Coconut

"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Add a slice of happiness to your week with Amaretto Bundt Cake with Toasted Almonds and Coconut. 

Cut a few more slices to share and you may have a party going.  

Cook's Notes: A scrumptious moist cake flavored with Amaretto and almond paste. One can never have too much almond. Topping the cake with toasted almonds and coconut is the piece de resistance for this dessert.

The recipe serves 10-12 and was adapted from tuttidolci.com  

Ingredients: 
Cake

• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 3 oz. almond paste, cubed
• 1- 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/3 cup each coconut and almonds, toasted 

Glaze

• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 tablespoon Amaretto
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan generously with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside. 
• In a food processor pulse cubes of almond paste with 1 tablespoon flour.
• Beat butter, almond paste, and sugar in a medium bowl on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time.
• Combine buttermilk, Amaretto, almond, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. 
• In 3 additions add buttermilk mixture and butter mixture to flour mixture ending with flour. Beat until just until incorporated.
• Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth out with a spatula. Tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is golden, springs back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. 
• Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully invert onto rack and cool completely.
• For the glaze, whisk together butter, salt, almond extract, Amaretto, milk, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and top with toasted coconut and almonds. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.