From Nigel's Kitchen Table
Apricot Cinnamon Cake
A light apricot sponge layered with cinnamon cream cheese and fresh fruit, perfect with tea or coffee.
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This apricot cinnamon cake has a light soft sponge with cinnamon cream cheese and fresh apricots. So simple to make and is delicious served with a cup of tea or coffee.
If we are lucky and the frost doesn’t get to the budding apricot flowers in the spring, we have an abundance of fresh apricots from the garden every year. And for those who have read up about me know that I like to make the local Hungarian spirit called Palinka. However, it’s also nice to make a few sweet items and this is one I particularly like and hope you will too.
You might also like my apricot semolina galette, apricot streusel tart, or my apricot stilton scones recipes.
Ingredients
For this recipe, all you need are these ingredients:
- Neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable or sunflower oil)
- Caster or granulated white sugar
- Medium eggs
- Greek yoghurt
- Plain or all-purpose flour (BL55)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cream cheese
- Milk
- Ground cinnamon
- Fresh apricots
- Almond slice
- Icing sugar
Nigel Recommends
Don’t Skip the Salt
I always recommend adding a generous pinch of fine sea salt to your cakes. It balances the sweetness, softens any bitterness and brings out flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, fruit and spices. You should not taste the salt itself—it simply gives the finished cake greater depth and a more rounded flavour.
Nigel Recommends
The Vanilla I Recommend
I recommend Taylor & Colledge vanilla products because they add a delicious depth of flavour while enhancing the other ingredients in the recipe. Choose from pure vanilla extract, vanilla paste or vanilla pods, depending on the recipe and the intensity of flavour you prefer.
Variations
- Fruit: If you can’t get fresh apricots, drained tinned apricots work well also or try other fruits. Peaches, raspberries or strawberries make great alternatives.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large mixing bowl – I recommend the 29 cm Mason Cash cream earthenware mixing bowl because it is sturdy, chip-resistant and has a generous four-litre capacity, making it ideal for everything from cake batters to bread doughs. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. You can find this bowl and more of my favourite kitchen tools in my Amazon Baking Essentials collection.
- Electric hand whisk – I recommend the Breville Classic Combo Stand and Hand Mixer because it includes a generous 3.7-litre stainless steel bowl and a convenient stand, so you do not have to hold the mixer throughout use. You can find it and more of my favourite baking equipment in my Amazon Kitchen Equipment collection.
Ideal pan for tray bakes, brownies and flapjacks.
NUTRITION
Serving: one cake slice.
Storage and Freezing
This easy cake keeps well for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: Stored in an airtight container suitable for freezing or cling wrap this cake will keep for up to 2-3 months.
Apricot Cinnamon Cake
INGREDIENTS LIST
- 100 ml neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable or sunflower oil)
- 120 g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs (100g total)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
- 140 g greek yoghurt
- 3 tbsp milk
- 200 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda / baking soda
Topping
- 200 g full-fat cream cheese
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 8 pieces fresh apricots (600g)
- 30 g flaked or sliced almonds
Icing
- 40 g icing sugar (US powdered sugar)
- 1 tbsp water
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F / Gas 6
- Grease or line a 30x20cm (8x12inch) cake tin/
- Cake batter: In a medium bowl whisk the sugar, oil and eggs together until the eggs are fluffy, pale in colour and increase in volume. (approx: 2 minutes to ensure the eggs are well airated)
- add the vanilla, yoghurt, milk and mix again until nice and creamy.
- At a low speed, mix in the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined and then pour the batter into the prepared tin. If you are using a similar size tin to me, the batter will only be about 1cm high in the tin, i do this as the cake will double in size and I think it ensures a good balance of cake to friut ratio.
- Topping: In a medium bowl whisk the cream cheese, milk and cinnamon together until creamy. Using a spoon dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mix over the top of the cake batter and then smooth over.
- Cut the apricots in half, remove the stones and then cut the halves into half again. Scatter the apricot pieces over the top of the cake as evenly as possible and then sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
- Baking: Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and water to form a creamy thick icing.Using a spoon or piping bag, ice the cake in a zig zag pattern and then serve.
FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS
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