Apricot Cake
Lovely Apricot Cake has a soft almond crumb embedded with fragrant, fresh apricots. This rustic cake is meant to be simple and homey. It’s a totally unfussy recipe.
About this cake
This recipe really is easy to make. By the time you have the oven pre-heated the batter will be ready to go in the pan. The only thing you need to do ahead of time is bring the ingredients to room temperature.
This a rustic cake, not a perfectly coiffed bakery style dessert. It is a simple marriage of bright, seasonal fruit and soft, comforting cake.
I love this recipe and I think you will too.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cake Flour – Low protein cake flour makes a cake with a super-soft and tender crumb.
- Almond Flour – Almond flour tenderizes the cake crumb even more and adds a subtle nutty flavor.
- Buttermilk – Yet another tenderizer for a soft cake crumb. Buttermilk also adds richness and a lightly tangy note.
- Almond Extract – Use a natural almond extract for the best flavor. The potency of extract can vary by brand so start with 1/2 tsp of extract and adjust the amount to your taste.
- Apricots – Use fresh, ripe apricots that are slightly soft but not at all mushy. The size of the fruits can vary. The halves from smaller apricots will sink into the batter as the cake bakes while larger fruit may stay on top. Either way is fine.
The Process
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the softened butter and half of the buttermilk.
- Cream the mixture to aerate the batter.
- Add the eggs and remaining buttermilk.
- Mix until combined.
- Spread the batter into a buttered and floured springform pan. Arrange apricot halves, cut side down, over the batter.
- Sprinkle the cake with sugar and sliced almonds.
- Bake until the center of the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan.
Storage
Apricot cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days. Leftover slices can be individually wrapped and frozen for up to a month. After freezing the cake may be a little mushy, but still tasty.
Apricot & Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 oz buttermilk (⅓ cup)
- 5 ½ oz cake flour (1 ¼ cups, see note)
- 2 oz almond flour (½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 6 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 16 oz fresh apricots (halved and pitted)
- sliced almonds
- sugar for sprinkling the top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. (see note)
- Whisk together 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 oz of the buttermilk in a small bowl, set aside.
- Combine 5 ½ oz cake flour, 2 oz almond flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon table salt, 6 oz granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to distribute the ingredients.
- With the mixer running on low, toss in 6 oz unsalted butter a tablespoon at a time. Add the remaining buttermilk and increase the speed to medium and mix 2 minutes to aerate the batter. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the egg mixture in two batches. Scrape the bowl and mixer after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to level. Place 16 oz fresh apricots, cut side down, in concentric circles over the batter. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the cake. Optionally, you can also sprinkle a little sugar with the almonds.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until the center of the cake springs back when pressed, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before releasing the sides.
- Serve slightly warm or room temperature. A sprinkle of powdered sugar makes a nice finish.
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