Here’s a really lovely tasty cake. The apricots give flavour and texture while the flaked almonds add a nice crunch.

Makes: 16 “moderate” slices (i.e. a bit small if you’re really hungry.) Or, go for 12 bigger slices.

Level: Reasonably easy.

Time: 15 min. the night before. 30 min. prep on the day followed by up to 50 min. baking. 10 min. cooling time then it depends on how you choose to decorate the cake.

Need: A 23cm/9” tin, ideally with a loose bottom

Ingredients

200g/7oz dried apricots
115ml/4fl oz sherry or tea or a stronger alcohol
125g/4½oz caster sugar
175g/6oz self raising flour
60g/2oz ground almonds
Pinch of fine salt
175g/6oz unsalted butter
85g/3oz soft light brown sugar
4 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Icing sugar to dust or apricot jam to glaze

Filling/Topping

300g/10oz mascarpone (or full fat cream cheese)
100g/3½oz soft butter
Around 200g/7oz icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g/2oz ground almonds (optional)
About 125g/4½oz apricot jam
Enough flaked almonds to scatter on top (also optional)

Method

1. Prior to making the cake (ideally, the night before), cut the dried apricots into small pieces and put in a bowl with the sherry, tea or other alcohol and heat for about 30 seconds in a microwave. Add 30g/1oz caster sugar and stir until dissolved, then cover and set aside.

2. Heat the oven to 180C / Fan 160C / 350F / gas 4. Grease and line the tin with baking parchment*. Sift the flour, ground almonds and salt into a bowl and set aside.

* I lined the inside as well as the bottom; I also always use “Bake even bands” around my baking tins.

3. Beat together the butter, brown sugar and remaining caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one with 1 tsp of the “set aside” flour mixture each time.

4. Stir in the vanilla then fold in the flour mixture in two halves. Take care not to over mix. Stir in the macerated apricots.

5. Spoon or pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tap it a couple of times on a work surface to level it and release any trapped air.

6. Bake for 42 – 50 min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for about 10 min. then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully.

7. For the filling, beat the butter and mascarpone until light and airy then sift in the icing sugar. Stir first, then beat vigorously. Stir in the vanilla extract. (I added in ground almonds, which I really like. This is optional, but I recommend it.)

8. Cut the cake horizontally into two halves. Spoon over or pipe a coating of warmed jam then add the filling and carefully re-assemble the cake.

9A. To finish the cake, dust with icing sugar before serving…..Or….

9B. …. Loosen 2 – 3 tablespoons of apricot jam with water or sherry and warm in the microwave. Brush this over the top of the cake and then scatter with flaked almonds.

I hope you enjoy this lovely cake. If you want more cake recipes click this link, or have a look at my site for lots of other great recipes, both sweet and savoury. Below are a few that I’d love you to try:

Blueberry and Orange Soured Cream Cake