2 cups
cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur*
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces almond paste (at room temperature)
1/2 teaspoons bitter almond extract (or almond extract)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. (10 ounces) unsalted butter
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
Glaze
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur*
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
*For non-alcoholic option - substitute water.
Two hours before baking: In small saucepan, heat
amaretto and add dried cranberries.
Let cool, stirring
occasionally, until the fruit has soaked up all the
liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan, tapping out excess flour.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda.
Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, using the paddle of an
electric mixer on low speed,
combine almond paste,
almond extract and sugar until mixture looks like wet
sand.
Add butter; beat at medium speed until very
fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Scrape bowl with rubber
spatula. Add eggs, one by one, beating until blended.
On
low speed, beat in 1/3 of dry ingredients and 1/3 of
sour cream; scrape bowl with a rubber spatula.
Repeat
twice more.
Finally, beat batter for 20 seconds, until
smooth.
Fold in all berries.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Level top with a spatula
and tap pan gently on counter to distribute.
Bake 50-60
minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle
comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes, then turn it onto a
wire rack.
Make the glaze while cake is cooling.
Sift the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl and
slowly blend in the amaretto with a fork until smooth.
Drizzle the warm cake with the glaze.
