Apricot Almond Cake With A Sticky Pistachio Topping
This apricot almond cake generously crowned with sticky and crunchy pistachio nuts is moist in texture and delicious in taste. It has a subtle citrusy touch and is also gluten-free. The flavours meld quite beautifully. It's made with dried apricots rather than fresh ones, so you can make it at any time of the year.
175ggolden caster sugar(I used cardamom sugar) + 50g for the topping
1unwaxed lime
1tbsporange flower water
1pinchsea or rock salt(I used Himalayan pink rock salt)
4medium eggs
150gground almonds(I usually grind my own whole almonds)
100ggluten-free flour
1 ½tspgluten-free baking powder
150gunsulphured apricotschopped into raisin sized pieces
50gunsalted pistachio nutsroughly chopped
Instructions
Butter the sides and line the bottom of a round 20 cm (8 inch) loose bottomed cake tin.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
200 g unsalted butter, 175 g golden caster sugar
Zest the lime finely and add together with the orange blossom water and salt. Cream some more.
1 tbsp orange flower water
Beat in the eggs, one by one, adding some of the ground nuts if the mixture looks as though it's going to curdle.
4 medium eggs
Mix in the ground nuts, then sift in the flour and baking powder and stir gently until just incorporated.
1 pinch sea or rock salt, 150 g ground almonds, 100 g gluten-free flour, 1 ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
Gently stir in the apricots then scrape into the prepared tin.
150 g unsulphured apricots
Bake in the middle of a pre-heated oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If the top starts to darken too quickly, cover the top with a piece of foil or used butter paper.
Meanwhile juice the lime and heat it with the remaining sugar in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for a minute or two then add the pistachios. Boil for a further minute, then pour over the still warm cake to cover.
50 g unsalted pistachio nuts
Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Leave to cool completely, place on a cake stand, slice and enjoy.
Notes
Instead of lime, try lemon or orange, they all work well in this cake.To make a loaf cake, use a lined 900g (2 lb) loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for one hour and fifteen minutes. If the top starts to get too brown, cover it with a piece of tin foil or baking paper. I use old butter papers which work really well.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.