Amaro Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into 1-inch pieces, plus additional tablespoon for pan)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup amaro or sweet red vermouth ((I prefer Punt e Mes))
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (grated or finely chopped)
• 3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh berries
• 1 tablespoon amaro
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the espresso powder, sugars and 1 ½cups of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking to dissolve. Stir in the butter and ¾ cup cocoa and heat until butter is melted. Stir in the amaro. Pour into a large heatproof bowl and let cool completely.

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 325 (160 C) degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and dust with the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.

3. 3

   Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the chocolate.

4. 4

   Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the cocoa-amaro mixture, then set a mesh strainer or sifter over the bowl and sift the flour mixture over the top.

5. 5

   Tip any remaining chocolate pieces in the strainer into the bowl. Fold everything together to combine.

6. 6

   Pour the batter into the pan and bake 55 minutes. Insert a cake tester into the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. Otherwise bake another 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a rack before removing sides of the pan.

7. 7

   Toss the berries with the amaro and sugar, slightly crushing the fruit. Serve the berries with the cake.