Almond-Flavored Chocolate Cake

We first had this cake at a church activity, and it has since become my very favorite chocolate cake!  I love the chocolate/almond flavoring combination, and this rich dessert was right up my alley.

We actually got into a bidding war for this cake at a church service auction, and $37 later - we won.  It was a lot to pay for a cake, but worth every penny!

Almond-Flavored Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Gerrie Miller

Ingredients:

For the Cake -

• 1 oz. Unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 package Duncan Hines devils food cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. Almond extract

For the Frosting -

• 1 package (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp. Almond extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9"x13" glass cake pan.  
2. Heat the chopped chocolate and water in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. 
3. Place the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, almond extract, and melted chocolate mixture in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a mixer for 1 minute on low speed. Scrape down sides and mix for 2 minutes more on medium speed. 
4. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 35-40.
5. Once the cake is completely cooled, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Add the cocoa, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Beat on high till turns a lighter color but don’t overdo or you’ll end up with too much air in it and you’ll have little bubbles in it.