Apricot Cake with Sugared Almonds
Want an apricot dessert without too much fuss? This Fresh Apricot Cake with Sugared Almonds is in the Top 10 of summer cakes because it’s made from fresh apricots, a simple batter and is topped with sugared almonds instead of heavy frosting. You’re gonna love this summer fruit cake recipe.
Table of Contents
- 1 Apples Inspired This Apricot Dessert!
- 2 Apricot Cake with Sugared Almonds
- 3 Blanch & Shock Fresh Apricots
- 4 Ingredients For Fresh Apricot Cake Batter
- 5 For Apricot Dessert Batter
- 6 Preparing Fruit For Batter
- 7 Sugared Almonds — Whaaa?
- 8 Making Sugared Almonds
- 9 Cool The Apricot Summer Cake with Sugared Almonds Before Slicing
- 10 Apricot Almond Cake
Apples Inspired This Apricot Dessert!
If you love fresh apricots as much as I do, this apricot dessert will definitely be one of your favorite summer cakes. The recipe was inspired by one of my fellow food bloggers, Sue, from The View At Great Island. Her Dutch Apple Cake recipe captivated me. But it’s summer now, not fall — and apricots are abundant, so I tweaked a few things and took a some liberties to make her fall recipe more seasonally appropriate for June, July and August.
Apricot Cake with Sugared Almonds
This summer cake recipe starts with fresh apricots. Apricots are more tart than sweet, and they pair beautifully in the tender, almond-scented cake crowned with sugared almonds. My taste testers unanimously approved — which, in laymen’s terms, means there wasn’t a crumb leftover.
Blanch & Shock Fresh Apricots
To make the apricots easier to peel, I like to blanch and shock them. It doesn’t take very long and this technique makes processing the fruit a breeze.
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- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add the whole apricots and simmer for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Use a pair of kitchen tongs or a spider to transfer the fruit to an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Remove the apricots from the ice bath and use a paring knife to slip the skins off the fruit. When I say “slip” I mean it. They will give you NO TROUBLE.
A combination of sour cream AND buttermilk give this cake a soft, tender crumb.
Ingredients For Fresh Apricot Cake Batter
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vanilla Powder (optional, but GOOD)
- Butter
- Sugar
- Almond Extract
- Eggs
- Sour Cream
- Buttermilk
I know that vanilla powder isn’t a common ingredient here in the states and that’s why it’s optional in this recipe. However, Nielsen-Massey sells something similar stateside… and if you happen to be in France, you can find this powder in most local supermarkets there.
Side note: I make it a point to bring back novel ingredients like this when I (or anyone I know) travels abroad.
For Apricot Dessert Batter
- In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients together.
- Whisk together the sour cream and buttermilk in a glass measuring cup with a spout.
- In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat them into the butter mixture well, before adding the next egg.
- Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the batter, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.
Preparing Fruit For Batter
- Slice the apricots in half and remove the pit.
- Thinly slice the fresh apricots and fold them into the batter until they are well incorporated.
- Transfer the apricot cake batter to a prepared springform pan and use the spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Sugared Almonds — Whaaa?
To make sugared nuts, you coat the nuts with frothy egg whites and dust them with sugar. This is the same technique I use for my spiced nut recipes, It creates a crackly crust that the sugar adheres to and adds a rubbly texture that you’ll love.
Making Sugared Almonds
- Whisk an egg white until very foamy and frothy.
- Add the sliced almonds to the egg white and toss to completely coat them.
- Drain any excess egg white from the almonds. You want them to feel tacky, not soupy.
- Do not dump the almonds onto the cake batter. Instead, lift a small handful with your fingers and sprinkle them over the top of the batter, evenly.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the cake and almonds.
- Bake until golden.
Cool The Apricot Summer Cake with Sugared Almonds Before Slicing
When the apricot cake is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes before running a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it. Remove the collar from the springform pan and let the cake cool to room temperature before serving.
Simplicity is the hallmark of what a summer cake, should be and this Apricot Cake with Sugared Almonds, is just that. No perfectly piped frosting rosettes. No crumb coat, no fuss. In fact, I invite you to revel in their rustic veneer. Just slice and enjoy.
More Apricot Dessert Recipes:
- Apricot Almond Bars
- Whole Wheat Apricot Ricotta Crepes
- Apricot Almond Fruit Pastry
- Ultimate Spring Apricot Almond Tart
More Favorite Summer Cakes:
- Brown Sugar Cornmeal Plum Cake
- Lemon Strawberry Plum Cake
- Guava Cheesecake
- Rum Passion Fruit Cake
- Mango Lime Cake
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Apricot Almond Cake
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 9″ springform pan
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE FRUIT
- 7 ripe apricots (about 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 pounds)
FOR SUGARED ALMOND TOPPING
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 1 large egg white
- ¼ cup sugar
FOR CAKE
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup buttermilk
DIRECTIONS:
PREPARE THE APRICOTS
- Fill a medium bowl with ice and water. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the whole apricots and blanche the fruit for one minute. Use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the whole fruit to the ice bath. Shock the fruit for one minute, then remove from the water and peel the skins from the apricots. They should come off easily.
- Halve the apricots and thinly slice. Set aside.
PREPARE THE ALMOND TOPPING:
- In a small bowl whisk the egg white until light and frothy. Add the sliced almonds and stir to coat. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the almond-egg mixture into the sieve. Spread the almonds out to open up more surface area. Set aside for the excess egg to drip away.
FOR THE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9″ springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
MAKE THE CAKE BATTER:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on high with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until they are completely mixed into the butter mixture before adding the next egg. Finish with the last egg and almond extract, and beat just until combined while scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and buttermilk until smooth.
- Beat in ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until just combined, then beat in ½ of the sour cream mixture. Continue alternating wet and dry ingredients finishing with the flour.
- Add the sliced apricots to the batter and fold together. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- The egg white almonds should feel tacky, not wet. If they’re very wet, dab them with a paper towel. Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top of the cake batter. Sprinkle the sugar over evenly over the almonds.
- Set the cake in the center of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Release the collar of the spring form pan and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- When cake has cooled, place it on a cake platter and serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
NUTRITION:
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This cake is delicious and not difficult to make. I’ve made it as written but prefer to just sprinkle sliced almonds and sugar on top (much easier). Just remember not to get the sugar too close to the edge of the batter. Thank you for an excellent recipe.
Great cake. Most and tender and comes together beautifully. I’ve made a lot of cakes in my time and this recipe is a winner.
Looks great! Can I replace the eggs with flax seed or any other egg replaceer?
I’ve never used flax eggs or other egg substitutes, however if you’ve had success with them in similar recipes, you’ll probably have similar results here.
I am definitely trying this for my July 4th party! They look so good.
The combination of apricots and almonds is always a winner in my book! I’m so jealous of your vanilla powder!
I can almost taste the fresh apricots from these gorgeous photos! This cake looks and sounds so yummy – perfect for summer gatherings!
My whole family loved this! I’m making it again for my 4th of July party.
What a great recipe for summer! Love the flavor and how easy this one is!