Cheap apricots.

I managed to pick up some cheap apricots while out shopping the other week. Our local fruit and vegetable shop was selling them at $2 a kilo. This is a really good price! I just couldn’t resist so bought 2kg of them. We ate a few and the rest just sat in the fridge. Every time I opened the fridge, the apricots were staring at me. I didn’t feel like eating them so had to find a recipe I could make before these went to waste. That’s when I settled on this Apricot & Almond Cake.

Why a cake? I did think about making apricot chicken curry with them, or even an apricot jam. I felt that the curry wasn’t really the best use of these. The jam was a good idea but I’ve still got 4 jars of berry jam in the cupboard that needs to be eaten first. So a cake it was.

This Apricot & Almond Cake is fresh tasting thanks to the added vanilla essence and lemon zest. Reminds me a summer’s day. The cake is moist with a wonderful texture from the added almond meal. It isn’t an overly sweet cake which is great as you don’t feel like you’ve really indulged. That’s what makes this a wonderful everyday cake to make. The original recipe used extra virgin olive oil instead of canola oil. Let’s just say I didn’t feel like taking a risk this time round. Next time I make this cake, I’ll make it with olive oil and see how it tastes. But without, it’s a perfectly delicious cake just as it is. I’m not convinced the olive oil flavour would add anything extra. We will see.

Apricot & Almond Cake

This is a really moreish cake. If you make this Apricot and Almond Cake then it won't last much longer than 48 hours. It is easy to make and has a fresh summery taste it will definitely please those lucky enough to get a slice. If you are looking for a very sweet cake, then step away... this isn't the cake for you!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

 

• 175 g sugar
• 250 ml milk
• 1 lemon lemon, finely grated zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 ml canola oil
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 200 g plain flour
• 30 g ground almonds
• 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5-6 apricots, cut into quarters
• flaked almonds, for sprinkling

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 180°C. Lightly butter and flour a 23cm round springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
• Place the sugar, milk, lemon zest and vanilla essence in a medium saucepan over low heat and bring just barely to a simmer while stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse and cool down.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk through the ground almonds. Add the oil, beaten eggs and cooled milk mixture. Gently whisk to form a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and arrange the apricot quarters on top any way you like. Sprinkle the top with the flaked almonds and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing the sides and leaving to cool completely.

Notes

• If you are using very small apricots, they may fall to the bottom of the tin during baking. To avoid this, add a second layer of apricot quarters on top.
• The original recipe called for the oil to be extra virgin olive oil so if you are feeling a little more adventurous, swap out the canola oil with olive oil.