light, dreamy, and decadent all at once – this Chocolate Amaro Cloud Cake is absolutely divine and deserves to be shared with people you love!
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There are two reasons that I often make this cake for dinner parties with friends that I really love. First, it’s an absolute smoke show of a cake! A real show stopper. Second, you’ve got the perfect balance of creamy and crispy, decadent and light, sweet and tart.
I’m always chasing that perfect balance of flavors and textures, and let me tell you, she’s got it all.
So, there are a few technical elements in the preparation of this cake, but don’t let them intimidate you. Follow my pro tips below, and you’ll be slicing into a piece of Chocolate Cloud Cake heaven in no time.
Pro Baking Tips for the Best Cloud Cake
- Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before adding it to the egg yolks – it should be a warm room temperature. Eggs can be temperamental, and if you add hot chocolate to eggs, you’ll end up with scrambled chocolate eggs.
- For this recipe, we are beating egg whites and sugar until they are fluffy and glossy soft peaks. Next, we’re scooping out about 1/3 of the meringue like egg whites, and gently mixing them into the chocolate mixture to lighten it up. This portion of the egg whites will deflate a bit, but that’s ok! We are sacrificing a bit of the airy egg whites for the greater good and lightness of the chocolate mixture. After the chocolate has been significantly lightened up, then we’ll add the rest of the egg whites and verrrry gently fold them in, preserving as much airy volume as we can.
- Be sure to place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet to make transferring it to the oven easier. Be sure to bake the cake until it is just set. A toothpick will not come out clean, rather will have some moist crumbs on it. The cake will continue to cook and set up after you remove it from the oven, Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before serving. Last but not least, run a paring knife around the perimeter of the cake to release it from the pan. Then gently remove the cake from the springform pan ring.
Want more delicious chocolate recipes? Check out:
- Chocolate Silk Pie
- Dark Chocolate Babka Ring
- Flourless Molten Chocolate Cakes
- Pistachio Chocolate Baklava
Ingredients
grass fed butter – this is a really rich chocolate cake, and it has a fudge-like texture from the significant amount of grass fed butter. My go-to butter in all of my recipes is Kerrygold. I love the high butter fat content, and the incredible flavor that it has. Great butter will absolutely elevate all of your bakes!
granulated sugar – we’re dividing the sugar into three different elements int his recipe: with the egg yolks, egg whites, and in the soft whipped cream. I like to use a less refined granulated sugar like Domino Golden Sugar because it has caramel notes that go really well with the chocolate.
great quality semi sweet chocolate – since the chocolate is the star of the show, go for the highest quality chocolate that you can source! We’re looking for at least 60% cacao to get that delicious complex dark chocolate flavor. Some of my favorite brands are Schaffer Berger, Valrhona, and Lindt.
espresso powder – this might surprise you, but the espresso powder is such a key element in the recipe! A little bit of coffee flavor actually makes the chocolate taste more chocolate-y! You can use ground espresso or instant coffee, either works.
amaro liqueur – this delicious, slightly bitter liqueur is the perfect pairing with the sweet chocolate. It’s amore grown-up flavor that I really love, but if you don’t feel free to substitute it with another liqueur.
unbleached all purpose flour – I really like to weigh my flour using a kitchen scale. So often people measure flour by volume (cups) differently, and it really changes the final product. I use unbleached all purpose flour from King Arthur Baking Company for all of my bakes. I love how the flour delivers consistent, professional results, and the company is employee owned.
How to Make Chocolate Amaro Cloud Cake
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and spray the sides of the pan well with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the eggs, place the yolks into a small bowl, and the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside.
- Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water, and place over medium heat. Bring the water to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium size heat proof mixing bowl, and place the bowl on top of the pan with simmering water. Be sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat as soon as most of the chocolate has melted, and continue to whisk until the chocolate is smooth.
- Add the butter and the espresso powder to the chocolate mixture, and whisk to combine.
- Next, combine the room temperature egg yolks, ½ cup of the granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a separate large mixing bowl. Whisk well, then add the amaro liqueur to the egg mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl with egg yolks and sugar, and whisk well, until there are no streaks of chocolate.
- Whisk the egg whites in the stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the whites are frothy and lightened up. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly stream in the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Beat the egg whites and sugar until glossy soft peaks form, this should take about 5 minutes, and the mixture will look like meringue.
- Add ⅓ of the egg white mixture to the bowl of chocolate, and whisk gently until completely combined. This will lighten up the chocolate. Add the remaining meringue mixture to the bowl of chocolate, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan, and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet to make transferring it to the oven easier. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes until the center is just set. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before serving. Run a paring knife around the perimeter of the cake to release it from the pan. Then gently remove the cake from the springform pan ring.
- Meanwhile, make the soft whipped cream. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add 1 cup cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks begin to form. Pour the soft whipped cream on top of the cake, and top with plenty of fresh raspberries.
Helpful Tools that I use every day
- There are just a few tools that I can’t live without in the kitchen, and I’ve linked them all for you here!
If you make this gorgeous Chocolate Amaro Cloud Cake, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Without further ado, here is my show stopping Chocolate Amaro Cloud Cake! Be sure to save this recipe and Pin It to your Cakes Pinterest board!
Happy Baking xo LeAnne
The recipe
Chocolate Amaro Cloud Cake
decadent and fudgy dark chocolate cake topped with soft whipped cream and sweet raspberries
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons, 168 g unsalted grass fed butter cut into tablespoon-size pieces
- 1 cup, 210 g plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 9 ounces, 255 g high quality semisweet chocolate chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon, 2 g espresso powder or instant coffee
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 ½ tablespoons Amaro liqueur
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup, 30 g unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup, 240 g heavy whipping cream very cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- a pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and spray the sides of the pan well with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the eggs, place the yolks into a small bowl, and the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside.
- Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water, and place over medium heat. Bring the water to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium size heat proof mixing bowl, and place the bowl on top of the pan with simmering water. Be sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat as soon as most of the chocolate has melted, and continue to whisk until the chocolate is smooth.
- Add the butter and the espresso powder to the chocolate mixture, and whisk to combine.
- Next, combine the room temperature egg yolks, ½ cup of the granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a separate large mixing bowl. Whisk well, then add the amaro liqueur to the egg mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Pour the chocolate into the bowl with egg yolks and sugar, and whisk well, until there are no streaks of chocolate.
- Whisk the egg whites in the stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the whites are frothy and lightened up. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly stream in the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Beat the egg whites and sugar until glossy soft peaks form, this should take about 5 minutes, and the mixture will look like meringue.
- Add ⅓ of the egg white mixture to the bowl of chocolate, and whisk gently until completely combined. This will lighten up the chocolate. Add the remaining meringue mixture to the bowl of chocolate, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan, and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet to make transferring it to the oven easier. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes until the center is just set. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before serving.
Meanwhile, make the soft whipped cream. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add 1 cup cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks begin to form. Pour the soft whipped cream on top of the cake, and top with plenty of fresh raspberries.
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