Gaby
Ingredients:
Dough:
150 g of milk
50 g of water
70 g of cocoa powder
3 tsp of instant coffee
2 tbsp of oil
6 eggs
250 g of sugar
400-450 g of flour
18 g of baking powder (1 packet)
1 drop of almond essence
3 tsp of amaretto syrup
Filling:
400 g of butter
150 g of cream or thick homemade sour cream (similar to crème fraîche)
100 g of dark chocolate
300 g of sweetened condensed milk
4 tsp of amaretto syrup
Soaking Liquid:
150 g of hot water
4 tsp of instant coffee
2 tbsp of sugar
4 tbsp of cognac or coffee liqueur
Icing:
2 tbsp of milk
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 tsp of instant coffee
Decoration:
150 g of almond flakes
Dissolve the cocoa powder in the milk and bring it to a boil. Stir in the instant coffee dissolved in hot water and let the mixture cool.
Beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the cooled cocoa-and-coffee mixture, gradually incorporating the sifted flour mixed with the baking powder. Add the oil, essence, and syrup. Mix gently. The batter should be pourable (a bit thinner than good homemade sour cream, but not too runny). Divide the batter into two parts and bake them in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 15-20 minutes, checking with a dry wooden skewer.
Once cooled, cut each layer in half and soak the layers with the coffee mixture made with sugar and cognac.
For the filling, chop the chocolate, add it to the cream, and heat the mixture over low heat until the chocolate melts. Let it cool. Beat the softened butter, then gradually add the chocolate-cream mixture and sweetened condensed milk, stirring in the amaretto syrup one spoonful at a time. Chill the finished cream in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes.
Spread the soaked layers with the cream, then pour the prepared, cooled icing over the top.
Decorate the sides and top of the cake with almond flakes or chopped almonds (as I did).
