Apricot Sponge Cake Recipes

APRICOT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Use an electric mixer beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and creamy, this will take about 3 - 5 minutes.
• Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift the flour and fold into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon.
• Spread a little less than half of the mixture into the tin and place the apricot halves with the cut sides facing down on top.
• Drop spoonful's of the remaining mixture over the top of the apricots. Then use the back of a metal spoon to carefully spread the mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked. Cover loosely with a sheet of foil if it's browning too quickly.
• Remove from the oven and allow the cake to stand in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to cake rack.
• Lightly dust with icing sugar.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

UPSIDE-DOWN STICKY APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Tip the sugar into a deep, ovenproof frying pan. Place over a high heat until caramelised, remove from the heat, then lay the apricots, cut side down, in the caramel, quartering some of the apricots to fit into the gaps. Set aside. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• To make the cake batter, use an electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the milk and saffron, if using. Fold in the flours and ground almonds, then beat until combined.
• Spoon dollops of the batter over the apricots and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40 mins until puffed up and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10 mins. Invert the cake onto a plate and leave to cool. Cut into wedges. Serve with crème fraîche, if you like.

APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Drain apricots, reserving 3 tablespoons syrup (discard remaining syrup); set aside., Place butter in a 9-in. square baking dish. Place in oven 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted; swirl carefully to coat evenly. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange apricot halves in a single layer over brown sugar, cut side up., In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add sugar, beating on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in reserved apricot syrup. Fold in flour mixture., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Spoon over apricots. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

APRICOT JAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted tube pan.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Cream butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with sour cream, beating batter briefly on low after each addition.
• Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan and spoon 1/2 of the apricot preserves on top, spreading it to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Repeat with remaining batter and preserves.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving platter.

APRICOT & RATAFIA SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter the base and sides of a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin and line with baking parchment.
• Put the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Break in the eggs, add the almond essence, if using, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Set aside a quarter of the mixture, then stir the chopped apricots and 25g of the biscuits into the remainder. Spoon into the tin and lightly smooth with the back of the spoon. Bake for 25 mins until the cake is almost set. Meanwhile, stir the apricot halves, remaining biscuits and flaked almonds into the reserved cake mixture until well mixed. Quickly dot the extra cake mixture onto the part-baked cake, then return to the oven for 20 mins more or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little of the butter to grease a 9-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom. Dust the pan with a little of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Cream the remaining butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture and the vanilla.
• Spread the batter in the baking pan. Arrange the apricot slices on the top. Put in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the top of the cake looks fairly firm and is just beginning to brown.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar, return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cake is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Serve the cake while it is still warm, with creme fraiche, whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.

FRESH APRICOT-HONEY SPONGE CAKE (RUSSIAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter, and dust with bread crumbs; set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced apricots, and drizzle with honey. Cover, and cook gently until the apricots have softened, then allow to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat to stiff peaks; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks on low speed for a few seconds until slightly thickened. Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat until thickened and light-colored. Beat in milk, then sift together flour with baking powder, and fold into yolks along with cooled apricot mixture, walnuts, and egg whites until combined.
• Pour into prepared pan, and bake in the middle or bottom of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert cake onto a plate, then place another plate on the cake bottom, and flip right-side-up; cool completely before serving.

FRESH APRICOT-HONEY SPONGE CAKE (RUSSIAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter, and dust with bread crumbs; set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced apricots, and drizzle with honey. Cover, and cook gently until the apricots have softened, then allow to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat to stiff peaks; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks on low speed for a few seconds until slightly thickened.
• Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat until thickened and light-colored. Beat in milk, then sift together flour with baking powder, and fold into yolks along with cooled apricot mixture, walnuts, and egg whites until combined.
• Pour into prepared pan, and bake in the middle or bottom of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edges of the pan.
• Invert cake onto a plate, then place another plate on the cake bottom, and flip right-side-up; cool completely before serving.