Let me introduce you to my new summer favorite: Apricot-Almond Cake with Rosemary. This is a simple, but flavor-packed cake with a surprise, sublime, herby taste from rosemary herbs. The batter itself is moderately dense, includes almond flour and greek yogurt, and is topped off with fresh apricots. The roasted almond flakes on top give it an extra-special touch. This is a summer must!!
What makes this Apricot Almond Cake so special?
There are several aspects that make this cake unique.
First of all, the batter: this is not a regular cake batter. It includes basic ingredients like butter, eggs, flour, and a bit of sugar, but then also adds in some secret ingredients, like also Greek yogurt and almond flour, which add in another layer of richness.
The rosemary: If you have never tried a cake with herbs before, adding in rosemary might seem a little off, at first. But, believe me, its flavor in this recipe is sublime and goes perfectly well with the apricots. You might not even notice its rosemary when you taste it, but instead, you’ll note the incredible flavor of the cake and wonder why it is so good.
The almond flake topping: This is really like the cherry on top! Add the almond flakes mid-way through the baking process and let them caramelize and roast on top of the apricots. This brings it to another level of deliciousness – guaranteed!
When should you serve this cake?
You can basically serve this cake on any occasion; afternoon coffee, dessert, Sunday brunch, an outdoor trip – this recipe is always a perfect fit! I brought it to one of my last hikes for a little dessert after our picnic and my friends absolutely loved me for it =)
It’s important that you get the ripest apricots you can find, and therefore, it’s a cake that’s best served best during the summer months. We really want to benefit from their juiciness here.
This is a fancy cake that requires just a little effort, and that has major pay off!
APRICOT-ALMOND CAKE WITH ROSEMARY
EQUIPMENT
- Tart pan: approx. 33 cm x 22 cm (13 inch x 8.5 inch)
INGREDIENTS
- 150 g butter soft, plus a little more to grease the tart pan
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 200 g Greek yogurt
- 2.5 tsp dried rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 egg whites
- 2 pinches of salt
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 100 g ground almonds
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 600 g apricots
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 50 g flaked almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius (356° Fahrenheit) and prepare an oven-proof, square tart pan or casserole with a little bit of melted butter.
- In a big bowl, whisk the butter together with the powdered sugar and egg yolks until it has a light color. Add the yogurt, rosemary and lemon juice, and mix until well-incorporated.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites together with salt with a hand whisk until firm peaks form, and then carefully fold into the mixture with a spatula.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour with baking powder and almond flour. In three parts, carefully integrate the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula, until well-combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tart pan, and flatten it out with the spatula. Add the apricot jam, distribute it with a spatula on top of the batter and also mix it into the batter with a fork using a swirling motion.
- Halve the apricots and place them on top of the batter, pressing them gently into the batter until half of it is covered.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for approx. 40 minutes. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar and flaked almonds. Drizzle this mixture over the cake after 20 minutes of baking time, then allow it to finish baking in the oven, until the cake is golden brown and cooked all the way through.
- Remove it from the oven, let it cool down slightly, and remove it from the tart pan and serve lukewarm or cold. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
