Go Back
Print
Almond-Apricot Cake With Creme Fraiche
Ingredients
  • 1 C. cake flour
  • 1 t. baking powder
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
  • 1 C. almond paste 9 ounces
  • 6 T. unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 6 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 t. pure vanilla extract I used vanilla bean paste--it includes vanilla seeds
  • 4 large apricots halved, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch wedges (I also used a few slices of yellow nectarines. You could substitute in any stone fruit.)
  • Creme fraiche for serving
  • Sliced almonds for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a 9-inch springform pan by greasing it thoroughly and flouring it.
  2. Mix cake flour (I used King Arthur Flour cake flour) with baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. Set up your standing mixer with the paddle attachment. Add sugar and almond paste to the mixer bowl and beat the ingredients until they are combined and the texture is "crumbly." (This is a sweet cake. You could reduce the sugar to your taste.) Add the room-temperature butter and beat at a high speed until the mixture turns light in color and a little fluffy. This will take about two minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Beat after the addition of each egg and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add vanilla extract (or vanilla paste). Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, gently folding the flour into the sugar mixture until it is fully incorporated.
  4. Spoon the batter into your prepared springform pan. Add sliced apricots (and optional nectarines) by placing them on top of the batter in the pan. They will sink into the cake as it bakes. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  5. Remove baked cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Loosen the cake from the pan by running a knife around the edge of the pan and remove it from the springform pan. Let the cake cool for another 30 minutes on a rack.
  6. Serve this cake either warm or at room temperature. Top it with creme fraiche, slices of fresh apricots and sliced almonds.