Orange Almond Sour Cream Cake With Chocolate Chips

1/3 c Chocolate mini-morsels OR 2

-ounces semisweet Chocolate cut into small -pieces 1/2 ts Orange-flavored liqueur

1 ts PLUS 1 2/3 cups sifted cake

-flour 2 Eggs

2/3 c Sour cream

1 ts Orange flower water * OR

-vanilla extract 2/3 c Sugar

1 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Baking soda

1/2 ts Salt

1/3 c Unblanched sliced almonds,

-toasted, cooled And ground fine (1 1/4 -ounces) 1 tb Grated zest from 1 medium

-orange 11 tb Unsalted butter, softened

* NOTE: The orange flower -water, which is used to -flavor The batter, is distilled -fromn orange blossoms And can be purchased at -liquor stores, pharmacies And Middle Eastern or Indian -food narkets. ORANGE SYRUP 1/3 c Sugar

3 tb Orange juice

1/4 c Orange-flavored liqueur

For the cake: Grease and flour a 6-cup fluted tube pan and set aside. Mix the chocolate chips and liqueur in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and toss to coat the chips. Set aside. Beat the eggs, 3 tablespoons of the sour cream, and the orange flower water in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix the next six ingredients plus the remaining 1 2/3 cups of flour in a large bowl at very low speed. Add the butter and remaining sour cream; beat at low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Beat a t medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Gradually beat in the egg mixture, one-third at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as it becomes necessary. Stir in the chocolate chip mixture. Adjust the oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 350F. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the center springs back when touched, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the cake in its pan to a wire rack. Prick the entire cake top with a toothpick. For the syrup: Put the sugar, orange juice, and orange-flavored liqueur in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Brush the top of the cake with half the syrup. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and place, rounded side up, on a cake plate. Brush cake surface with the remaining syrup; cool completely. (Can wrap and store at room temperature up to 3 days, refrigerate up to 7 days, or freeze up to 2 months.) To serve: (Bring the cake to room temperature.) Cut cake in slices and serve. Makes 8 servings. [ COOKS Magazine; October 1989 ]