Amarula Cake
Amarula Cake is a soft, fluffy and Amarula-Cream drenched cake – absolutely decadent served at tea time or as an everyday dessert !
Amarula Cake – another South-African recipe ! This one was not planned – I received my leaflet from MOIR’S yesterday. They send out one every six months with the most delicious recipes
What is Amarula ?
It is just one of the most popular cream liqueurs in South-Africa!!
Here is what the leaflet had to say about Amarula:
“AMARULA cream liqueur is a South-African classic made from the fruit of the Marula Tree. When ripe, the fruit drops off the tree and ferments naturally. Many wild animals love this fruit and can be seen falling over and very drunk when they eat the fallen fruit that has turned rather alcoholic! “
I know this fruit is not easy to find but now and then we go to the North West Province which is quite popular over weekends (only an hour’s drive there).
Especially for brunches and laid back lunches and it is very scenic around the Hartebeestpoort Dam area.
Anyhow, a few years ago we parked at one of these restaurant/street vendor sites, under a huge tree, and as I got out of the car, I stepped on these little fruits on the ground.
When I picked it up, my hubby, (who grew up on a farm), told me it’s a Marula fruit.
Very excited, because I finally saw a fruit of which I already knew the liqueur very well, I asked him whether one can eat it as is… dumb question !
He laughed and said I shouldn’t try that, as he had a nasty experience on the farm as a child, and if I REALLY wanted the fruit, I should rather see if there was a vendor selling them when they were handpicked and not lying on the ground.
Amarula Cake
Amarula Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 2 ¼ cups Flour
- 1 ⅓ cups Sugar
- ½ TB Baking Powder
- ½ t Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 cup Milk
- 6 TB Amarula Cream Liqueur **see note below for substitution suggestion if unavailable
- 2 Extra-Large Eggs
- 1 t Caramel Essence
- ¼ cup Fresh Cream (double cream)
GANACHE:
- 100 g Milk Chocolate melted (3.5 ounces)
- 2 TB Amarula Cream Liqueur
- 2 TB Pecan Nuts chopped
- Icing Sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
CAKE:
- Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F) – Spray a medium bundt pan with cooking oil
- Sift together the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt in a large bowl
- Beat together the melted Butter, Milk, 4 TB Amarula, Eggs and Caramel essence in a medium bowl – add to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed (do not over mix)
- Pour batter into the prepared ring pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes until a tester comes out clean
- Remove from oven – un-mold the cake and place on a wire rack (wax paper underneath to catch any dripping)
- Heat the Fresh Cream and the remaining 2 TB Amarula until just warm – pour over the cake. Let the cake cool completely
GANACHE:
- Combine the melted Milk Chocolate and the Amarula – pour over the cake, followed by the chopped Pecan Nuts – Dust with Icing Sugar
Notes
Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!
LINDA
You might also like :
Amarula Chocolate Caramel Cake
Good day
Is it possible to bake the amarula cake in 8inche tins?
Yes, absolutely ! You can use 8″ baking pans, just remember to adjust your baking time
@Linda Nortje,
That’s great 🙂 If you don’t mind please guide me a bit further…
1. How will adjust the time? By adding or removing on the time given on the recipe?
2. Would you suggest I use 2 or 3, 8″ pans.
I want to use this recipe for a birthday cake.
Hey Norma, I use 2 x 8″ pans when making a layer cake using this recipe. Baking time is around 30 – 35 minutes, although I definitely check at 30 minutes. Hope this helps
ps: also have a look at my Amarula Chocolate Caramel Cake 😊
Is caramel essence the same as caramel extract? The items I find that are labeled “essence” appear to be oil based and come with a dropper. That seems like it would be very strong to use a teaspoon of it? Thinking of just using vanilla extract?
Caramel extract is a bit stronger than the essence. Not sure about the oil based essence :/ Vanilla extract would work just fine !
Bonjour linda, le gâteau a l'air divinement bon et je découvre l'amarula. De quel autre fruit son goût se rapproche t'il?car en France je ne suis pas sûre de trouver. Bonne après midi.
Hi Angelique, I do not think there is anything that comes even remotely close to the Amarula Fruit. You can however use any Cream Liqueur to make the cake, but it will definitely not taste the same. Try Googling for an online store in your area ? I do hope you find a bottle (or three!) as this is delicious !
I finally made this cake and it was really good. Yours is prettier though!
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Can I replace the butter with canola oil for the vanilla cake?
Hi Linda,
This looks delicious. I can just see the drunk animals. Too funny. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week.
Have a great week.
Debi
Yummy!! My mouth is watering. Thanks for linking up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch. I hope you link up again this week. The party will be live tonight. http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com
Thanks, Nichi
This sounds so good and now I am so curious about that Amarula! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us at Gettin' Krafty!
yummy and I love the image I got of drunk animals, so fun.
I've seen footage on a nature show of elephants eating that fruit and falling over each other! It was so funny!
Another yummy cake recipe! I'll have to look to see if I can find this. 🙂 Thank you for sharing at MightyCrafty Mondays!
What an interesting post. I have never heard of amarula…I will remember that it is best "from the bottle"! Or, in cake…it looks really moist….
Your recipes always look so tasty!!
Thanks again for linking up with us @ Keep Calm & Link Up 🙂
Oooh! That looks great! I have Amarula too! It's good in chocolate martinis!
Thanks for joining the party at One Creative Weekend! Have a great weekend!
Ooh! That looks yummy!
Thanks for sharing with my Super Link Party! 🙂
Cool! I always thought of baking something with amarula, but not using too much cause it's expensive here! Although 6 tbsp aren't much either, could you taste the amarula or not?
Linda, this would be a great cake for a very special evening. Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I've had Amarula and I bet it is great in a cake! I'm co-hosting with Julie at Marvelous Monday and had to come over and say hi… I've been following you for awhile. Deb
The drunk animals made me smile, that's really interesting!
I have tried Amarula one time when my sisters husband brought it home from S. Africa. This sounds so good! I will have to go look at the big Liquor store to see if I can find some! Yummy. Visiting from G+ Party.
Blessings,
Susie