Apricot simnel cake recipe

Name: Apricot simnel cake recipe
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: melted butter and flour for the tin; 100g unsalted butter, softened; 50g cream cheese; 120g castor sugar; 2 eggs, 60g each; 50g ground almonds; 50g sherry (or orange juice); 150g currants or chopped dried apricots; 100g chopped crystallised or glace ginger; 120g plain white flour; ½ tsp baking powder; 11 ripe or tinned small apricot, plum or peach halves; flaked almonds for decoration; about 60g marzipan

Dan Lepard

March 16, 2018

Slim, elegant and intense with flavour, more like a tart than a true cake and perfect for an easy Easter dessert or an afternoon tea snackeroo. For me, you can't do better than a scoop of creme fraiche on the side but if vanilla ice-cream is your thing, then go for it. This keeps well for a few days in an airtight tin. Use apricots, plums or peaches.

Ingredients

melted butter and flour for the tin
100g unsalted butter, softened
50g cream cheese
120g castor sugar
2 eggs, 60g each
50g ground almonds
50g sherry (or orange juice)
150g currants or chopped dried apricots
100g chopped crystallised or glace ginger
120g plain white flour
½ tsp baking powder
11 ripe or tinned small apricot, plum or peach halves
flaked almonds for decoration
about 60g marzipan

Method

Step 1
Brush the inside of a 23-centimetre fluted tart tin with melted butter, and dust evenly with flour.
Step 2
Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar together in a mixing bowl until smooth, then beat in the eggs.
Step 3
Stir in the ground almonds, sherry, currants and ginger evenly, stir in the flour and baking powder then spoon this mixture into the tin and spread across the base.
Step 4
Press 11 drained apricot halves, cut-side upwards, around the mixture, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake at 160C (fan-forced) for about 40 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile roll out get 11 tiny balls of marzipan rolled, about five grams each. Remove the cake from the oven, place a ball of marzipan in each apricot and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer until golden. Allow to cool slightly Leave until warm before serving.