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Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake

posted by Liz Berg on February 22, 2024

This sublime Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake is sweet, dense, and packed full of ripe berries. Follow my pro tips for perfect results every time!

Amaretto, vanilla, almond extract, and Fiori di Sicilia flavoring make this Raspberry Pound Cake an extraordinary dessert!

Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake on a cake plate with fresh raspberries.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Ingredient Notes

3 Recipe Tips

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like:

6 Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake

Why You Must Make

The fine crumb and dense texture of a pound cake make for a fabulous dessert.
This serves 12 and is much easier than making a layer cake or cupcakes.
It’s perfect for spring and summer when fresh raspberries are sweet, plump, and delicious!

This Raspberry Cake recipe was inspired by a long-time and most hilarious friend, Janet, of From Cupcakes to Caviar. You’ll definitely want to head over to drool over her fabulous recipe and belly laugh while reading her entertaining posts.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Sugar, All-Purpose Flour
Butter – Have it at room temperature for easy incorporation.
Cream Cheese – Have at room temperature for easy incorporation.
Amaretto – A sweet Italian almond-flavored liqueur that originated in Saronno. Note that alcohol will enhance the flavor of a recipe. The alcohol will evaporate during the baking time.
Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract, never imitation.
Almond Extract – A wonderful flavoring paired with raspberries.
Fiori di Sicilia Flavoring – See the FAQs below, but this Italian flavoring is used in Pannetone. It’s a unique citrusy extract.
Eggs – Have them at room temperature for easy incorporation into the batter. If you don’t get them out of the refrigerator in time, place them in a bowl of very hot tap (never boiling) water to take the chill off.
Fresh Raspberries – Look for plump berries without signs of mold or spoilage.

Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake slice on a small white pedestal.

Recipe Tips

This Raspberry Pound Cake recipe is pretty classic for pound cake and turns out a heavy cake with a perfect dense crumb. And the aroma is nothing short of heavenly. Bill, the hubby, is pretty much a white bread, vanilla type of guy and he went nuts for this cake.

He does love raspberries, but I wasn’t sure if he’d like the more exotic flavorings (meaning not just plain vanilla!) in this raspberry pound cake. But he raved about this cake after his first nibble. I sent a few slices along when he trekked to Illinois to visit his mom, brother and sister-in-law–and they were instant fans as well.

PRO-Tip: As with most baked goods, start with room-temperature ingredients, especially butter, eggs, and cream cheese.
Room-temperature ingredients will incorporate much easier. You do not want little pieces of butter or cream cheese in your batter, but instead a smooth, homogeneous batter.
Follow the recipe’s instructions on how to beat in each ingredient. The sugar and butter can be beaten until very light and fluffy.
PRO-Tip: When you add the eggs, beat just until they’re incorporated. You don’t want to add excess air because pound cakes should be dense.
The flour should only be mixed in until it’s combined. Again, you don’t want to incorporate any extra air into the batter. Plus beating in the flour will encourage gluten formation, which is good for yeast bread, but not for tender cakes.
PRO-Tip: Have you tried Fiori di Sicilia yet? I had a bottle in my pantry and had forgotten its intoxicating smell—a mixture of citrus and vanilla. A little goes a long way, but it’s terrific in cakes, cookies, and even pancakes. But I’m sure you’ll want to start with this winner of a cake.
Be sure to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl frequently. Invariably, there will be some of the batter that didn’t get mixed well.
Use a toothpick to check if your cake is done. I check a couple of spots by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, the cake is done. If there is batter on the toothpick, bake your cake a little longer.
Usually, I cool a pound cake for 10-15 minutes before releasing it from the pan onto a cooling rack. In this recipe, though, some glaze is drizzled over the bottom of the cake, then it’s cooled completely in the pan before inverting.
You must prep your pan well or have a relatively new non-stick Bundt pan to avoid sticking. Otherwise, skip glazing the bottom and release the cake after 15 minutes and glaze only the top.
PRO-Tip: If your cake does not come out of the pan, you can run a blunt knife around the perimeter then wrap the pan with a warm moist towel for about 10 minutes. Invert and try to release the cake again.

Overhead view of Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake on a white, oval platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is This Cake Called a Pound Cake?

The original pound cakes were made with a pound each of sugar, flour, eggs, and butter. As the recipes evolved, flavorings, leaveners, and other ingredients like fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts were added. Pound cakes are dense cakes with a fine crumb.

What is Fiori Di Sicilia?

Fiori de Sicilia translates to Flowers of Sicily and is an Italian extract with notes of vanilla, and orange along with some floral and/or woodsy flavors. It’s commonly used in Italian bread like panettone and pandoro, but also is a delicious addition to other baked goods like this pound cake.

How Do You Store a Pound Cake?

Make sure to wrap your cooled pound cake in plastic wrap so it stays fresh longer. It can be kept at room temperature for 3 days as long as none of the ingredients are perishable, then it must be stored in the refrigerator. If you chill it, bring it to room temperature before serving.

Can You Freeze a Pound Cake?

Yes, pound cakes freeze well. Make sure it’s wrapped airtight. Using plastic wrap, then a layer of foil will keep it from getting freezer burn. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature to serve. A pound cake made with fresh fruit, like raspberries, won’t freeze as nicely since the fruit may exude moisture as it defrosts.