Triple Almond Chocolate Cake

This recipe is an old reliable - the results are always great and whoever I make it for just loves it.  I've even had co-workers fighting over the last slice at previous functions.  It's also a really old recipe - so old that it's actually typed, as in on a typewriter and my copy has dried tape holding it to a lined sheet of paper.  I'm sure it's over 30 years old because I no longer have the recipe book it used to fit into and can't remember how I even got it.  It's also from the days when I rarely baked anything from scratch and this cake would quite often fool the tasters by thinking I'd made it all by myself!

I made it most recently for the Hallowe'en United Way fundraiser bake sale that I organize in my office.  I was very happy that after the sale only one slice was left to bring home.

Ingredients:
1 package dark chocolate cake mix
1 package, four serving instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream - I use the light version
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 tbsp almond liqueur - a great reason to keep Amaretto around the house :)
1 tsp pure almond extract - don't use the fake stuff, it's not as good!
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

For topping:
container of prepared chocolate frosting
1/2-3/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a bundt pan using lots of non-stick spray, to ensure you cake comes out cleanly.  In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, liqueur and almond extract.  Blend until combined and then beat at medium speed for two minutes either with a stand or hand held mixer.  Slowly add in slivered almonds and chocolate chips.  The batter will be so heavy that you'll need to "scoop" it out with your spatula and smooth the top until it's even.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a tester comes out cleanly.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes before attempting to remove.

Once the cake has cooled completely, slowly heat approximately 1/2 a container of icing in the microwave.  Then drizzle the icing around the cake, until there is a nice pattern around the entire cake.  While the icing is still warm, sprinkle with the almonds and lightly press them into place.

The cake should yield up to 20 portions, depending on how thinly you slice it.  Here's how it looked at the bake sale, before the hungry shoppers arrived:

Even better was that in two hours, we raised $217 from baked goods for the United Way!