MIXER FOR AMARETTO RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and lightly grease the sides and line the base of your springform cake tin with baking paper.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, either over a pan of boiling water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, or in a microwave. Pour into a jug and leave to cool a little.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, moussy and doubled, if not tripled, in volume. This will take 2–3 minutes, using a freestanding mixer, or 4–5 minutes with an electric hand whisk.
• Mix the almonds and cocoa together in a small bowl. Turn the mixer speed to low and gently whisk into the eggs and sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon.
• Stir the amaretto liqueur into the slightly cooled, melted chocolate and butter, then pour this glossy mixture in a slow, steady stream into the cake batter, whisking all the time; it will look like a fabulous chocolate mousse. Give a final fold by hand to make sure everything is combined.
• Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the cake is beginning to come away at the edges, the top has formed a slightly cracked and bubbled thin crust the colour of pale milk chocolate – the cake will be dark and tender underneath – and a cake tester comes out with just a few damp crumbs cleaving to it.
• Remove to a wire rack, drape a clean tea towel over the tin and leave to cool. As it cools, the top of the cake will crack a little more, and it will sink slightly, leaving a frilly edge. Once the cake is cold, unclip the tin, and gently lift the cake out – remove the base only if you are very brave – onto a cake stand or plate. Dust the teaspoon of cocoa through a tea strainer over the top, rather like the coating on a chocolate truffle.
• Just before serving, whip the cream and amaretto together, until ripples start showing on the surface and it’s thickened but still soft enough to dollop alongside the cake. Very gently fold most of the crumbled amaretti biscuits into the cream, which will thicken it slightly more. Decant into a small serving bowl and sprinkle the rest of the amaretti crumbles on top.

Steps:

• For the marinated strawberries: In a small, shallow casserole dish, toss the strawberries with the vinegar and let stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. After the strawberries have marinated, check for sweetness, adding sugar if desired.
• For the whipped cream: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the cream to soft peaks. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Whip to stiff peaks. Set aside.
• For the trifle: Using a serrated knife, slice the pound cake lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. You will only need four slices. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from each cake slice. Line up two highball glasses and place one cake circle in the bottom of each. Brush the cakes with amaretto liqueur. Add 2 tablespoons of marinated strawberries and spread evenly. Using a different tablespoon, add a large dollop of whipped cream and spread evenly. Add a second layer of cake, pressing down lightly. Brush with amaretto liqueur. Add 2 tablespoons of marinated strawberries and spread evenly. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream, spreading evenly. Use the remaining cake, cream and strawberries to create a more humble trifle dish.
• Cover the trifles with plastic wrap and refrigerate for impromptu indulgence, keeping in mind that it will store for up to 2 days.
• To serve, remove and discard the plastic wrap. Grate some amaretto cookie on top of the trifles and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.