Chocolate Dessert

Apricot, cardamom and chocolate cake

Name: Spiced apricot and chocolate cake recipe
Yield: 1 22cm cake
Ingredients: 200g dried apricots, roughly chopped; Juice of 1/2 lemon; 125ml water; 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra, to grease; 165g golden caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 3 eggs; 150g almond meal; 75g self-raising flour; 3/4 tsp ground cardamom; 100g dark (or milk) chocolate, roughly chopped; 20.00 ml demerara sugar

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1 22cm cake

P62 Apricot, cardamom and chocolate cake

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by Tilly Pamment

COOKBOOK AUTHOR

Jul 07, 2023

“This spiced apricot cake is a sturdy, wholesome number – one for the tastes better- than-it-looks club, but one of my favourites. It’s not the most attractive cake to be sure, but golly, does it deliver on flavour. Made with almond meal and cardamom and filled with tart dried apricots and nuggets of dark chocolate, it is satisfyingly dense: perfect served warm for morning or afternoon tea (or even breakfast with a cup of tea if you’re anything like me).” – Tilly Pamment.

200g dried apricots, roughly chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup (125ml) boiling water
125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra, to grease
165g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups (150g) almond meal
1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
100g dark (or milk) chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tbs demerara sugar

Method

1.

Place the apricots, lemon juice and boiling water in a small saucepan. Simmer gently, with a lid on, over very low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 22cm round springform tin with butter and line the base and side with baking paper.
3.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream softened butter, caster sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Place the almond meal, flour, cardamom and a pinch of fine salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, stirring gently to combine. Add the chocolate and cooled apricots and fold them through.
4.

Spoon batter into lined tin, smoothing top with a spatula. Sprinkle over demerara sugar and cook for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.
5.

Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature.