Here’s another recipe in which just a few ingredients come together to make a big, big impression. It’s not as dense as the name suggests, because the beaten egg whites lighten it up considerably, as do the crumbled cookies. Think of this next time you’re looking for an unusual birthday cake; with its layer of marmalade and crumbled cookie topping it’s elegant enough for any important occasion.

　　

Ingredients

8 to 10 servings

　　20 whole amaretti cookies, plus 8 amaretti cookies, crushed, for topping

　　1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

　　1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1 cup sugar

　　5 large eggs, separated

　　2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier)

　　1/2 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/4 cup orange marmalade

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

Combine the 20 amaretti cookies and the chocolate chips in a food processor and process until the mixture is very finely chopped. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

Using an electric mixer and a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, incorporating each yolk before adding the next. Once all the eggs are added, continue to cream the mixture together until light and fluffy, about 4 more minutes. Add the orange liqueur. With the machine on low, add the flour and the chocolate amaretti mixture, mixing well after each addition.

　　

Step 4

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites (using the electric mixer and clean beaters) until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add one third of the whipped egg whites to the batter and mix until combined. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the batter until just barely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a platter and cool to room temperature. Spread the orange marmalade over the top of the cake in an even layer, and sprinkle with the remaining crushed amaretti cookies.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.