22 March, 2008

March recipe: Apricot and almond cake



Dried apricots and ground almonds are available all the year round, thanks to international transport, so this cake can be made at any time of year. March is as good a time as any, and it seems to suit the brighter days of spring.

Apricot and almond cake

4 oz (approx 100 g) butter
4 oz (approx 100 g) sugar. I use golden caster sugar or light brown soft sugar
2 eggs
Juice of half a lemon
1.5 oz (approx 30 g) ground almonds
2 oz (approx 50 g) plain flour
2 oz (approx 50 g) dried apricots

Chop the dried apricots into pieces the size you would like to find in your cake. I aim for pieces about the size of a raisin.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs and stir into the creamed mixture.
Stir in the almonds and lemon juice.
Stir in the flour and apricots and mix thoroughly.
Spread in a greased shallow baking tin, about 7” (approx 18 cm) square, and level the top.
Bake in a moderate oven, about 170 C, for about 30 minutes. It’s done when the sponge springs back if pressed lightly with a finger, and has shrunk slightly away from the edges of the tin.
Cut into pieces, lift the pieces out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. I usually cut 12 pieces.
Keeps about a week in an airtight tin, or can be frozen.

11 comments:

Sarah Cuthbertson said...

Ambrosia! Apricots and almonds are two of my favourite foods and I love cakes too, so thank you for this!

Kathryn Warner said...

Apricots and almonds, what a yummy combination.

Happy Easter!

Constance Brewer said...

I'm already debating changing things to walnuts and golden raisins. :P Not a huge fan of apricots, but I like the looks of the recipe. I don't think I've ever made the same recipe twice in my life....

Bernita said...

And deliciously easy to prepare.

Carla said...

Sarah - you're welcome, and I hope you enjoy it!

Alianore - thank you, and Happy Easter!

Constance - go right ahead. You'll need to adjust the amount of flour if you miss out the ground almonds, but substituting any dried fruit(s) or nut(s) for the apricots should work fine. I tend to modify recipes too, though I couldn't claim never to repeat one :-)

Bernita - yes, it is. Life is too short for fiddly cooking.

Meghan said...

Yuuuum!

Carla said...

Hope you enjoy it, Meghan!

Anonymous said...

I shall definitely make this one, Carla, it sounds scrumptious. I do a similar one with apples but apricots are much classier!
Lucy

Carla said...

Lucy - apples and almonds are another combination made in heaven. I'm using apricots here because apples are out of season until August, alas - my cooking apples never keep much past the end of February.

Beth said...

Baked one of these the other day - absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. :)

Carla said...

You're welcome, Beth! Glad you liked it.