Apricot Almond Cream Cake Food

APRICOT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. (If you don't have a springform pan, spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.)
• Whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk and vinegar; stir to combine. Add oil and almond extract; stir until very well combined, about 60 strokes. Transfer to prepared pan. Note: The gluten in the flour gives this eggless cake structure. Be sure to stir the batter for the full 60 strokes to activate it.
• Arrange apricot halves, cut side up, on top of cake batter. Bake for 30 minutes. During final 2 minutes of baking time, whisk apricot preserves and 1 teaspoon hot water in a small bowl. Remove cake from oven. Brush cake (not apricot halves) with apricot preserve mixture.
• Return cake to oven and bake until light golden and a wooden pick in the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool for 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan and let cake cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes

ALMOND-APRICOT FOOD PROCESSOR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter cake pan, then line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment, then sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup almonds.
• Pit and coarsely chop 6 oz. apricots. Pulse salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and remaining 2 1/4 cups almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add eggs, vanilla, 6 Tbsp. butter, and half of the chopped apricots; process until very smooth. Add flour and baking powder; pulse until combined, then fold in remaining chopped apricots. Transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until golden brown and the center no longer jiggles when shaken, 60-70 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely.
• Meanwhile, pit and slice remaining 10 oz. apricots. Toss apricots, amaretto, if using, and remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar in a medium bowl. Let sit at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Using a whisk or an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to soft peaks in a large bowl.
• Run a knife around edges of cooled cake and invert onto a platter.
• Serve with macerated apricots and whipped cream alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Let come to room temperature before serving.

ALMOND APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• To make the frangipane, place the almonds and the sugar in a food processor and grind until sandy. Add the butter and continue mixing then add the egg, vanilla, and the flour and mix until smooth.
• To make the tart, on a floured work surface pass your rolling pin over the pastry just to flatten any ridges.
• Place it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and cut out a 9-inch disk. Spread the almond frangipane in the center of the tart leaving a 1-inch border. Firmly place the apricot halves into the frangipane spacing them evenly around the tart. Dot the spaces between the apricots with the whole almonds.
• Bake until golden brown on the top and puffy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

APRICOT-ALMOND CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (8-inch) round cakes, substituting square pans for the round pans if desired. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cook nuts and 3 Tbsp. sugar in nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 min. or until sugar is completely dissolved and nuts are evenly coated with sugar glaze, stirring constantly. Spread onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray; cool completely.
• Cut apricots in half; discard pits. Cut fruit into thin slices. Reserve a few apricot slices for garnish. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add remaining sugar; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP, then remaining sliced apricots.
• Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading 3/4 cup COOL WHIP mixture between each layer.
• Microwave fruit spread in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 20 sec. or until heated through; stir. Drizzle over cake; spread to completely cover top of cake, allowing excess fruit spread to drizzle down side.
• Top cake with remaining COOL WHIP mixture. Garnish with reserved apricot slices. Break candied nuts into small pieces; sprinkle over cake.

ALMOND APRICOT COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream and extract; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. , Spread half of the batter in a greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan. Sprinkle with half of the almonds. Spread half of the preserves to within 1/2 in of the edges. Cover with remaining batter. Spoon remaining preserves over batter to within 1/2 in of edges. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. , Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

APRICOT ALMOND CAKE WITH ROSEWATER AND CARDAMOM

Steps:

• Put the dried apricots into a small saucepan, cover them with the cold water, and drop in the cracked cardamom pods with their fragrant seeds. Put on the heat, then bring to the boil and let it bubble for 10 minutes--don't stray too far away from the pan, as by the end of the 10 minutes the pan will be just about out of water and you want to make sure it doesn't actually run dry as the apricots will absorb more water as they cool.
• Take the pan off the heat, place on a cold, heatproof surface and let the apricots cool. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4/350 degrees F. Grease the sides of your springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
• Remove 5 of the dried apricots and tear each in half, then set aside for the time being. Discard the cardamom husks, leaving the seeds in the pan.
• Pour and scrape out the sticky contents of the pan into the bowl of a food processor. Add the almond meal, polenta, baking powder, superfine sugar and eggs, and give a good long blitz to combine.
• Open the top of the processor, scrape down the batter, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the rosewater, and blitz again, then scrape into the prepared tin and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the apricot halves around the circumference of the tin.
• Bake for 40 minutes, though if the cake is browning up a lot before it's actually ready, you may want to cover loosely with foil at the 30-minute mark. When it's ready, the cake will be coming away from the edges of the tin, the top will feel firm, and a cake tester will come out with just one or two damp crumbs on it.
• Remove the cake to a wire rack. If you're using apricot jam to decorate, you may want to warm it a little first so that it's easier to spread; rose petal jam is so lusciously soft-set, it shouldn't need any help. Stir a teaspoon of lemon juice into the jam and brush over the top of the cake, then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and leave the cake to cool in its tin before unspringing and removing to a plate.

FRENCH ALMOND COOKIE CAKE WITH APRICOT CREAM CHEESE GLAZE

Steps:

• Cake - Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a 9-inch cake round with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 75 seconds. Allow butter to cool momentarily so you don't scramble the egg.
• Add all remaining cake ingredients (except flour) and whisk until smooth. Stir in the flour until just combined; don't overmix. Turn batter out into prepared pan. Top with optional slivered almonds.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden and set, and edges will be firmer and pulling away slightly from sides of pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
• Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and allow it to cool completely. While cake cools, make the glaze.
• Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze - Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined, or beat with a mixer until combined. Spread glaze on top of cake (does not have to be completely cooled), slice and serve. Cake will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

APRICOT ALMOND UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch diameter, 2-inch deep round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Scatter the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan, patting it into a thin layer. Arrange the apricot halves cut-side down on the brown sugar.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the almond paste a little at a time, beating until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange zest, vanilla and almond extract. On low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.
• Pour the thick batter over the apricots, spreading it evenly. Bake until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

APRICOT ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• In a bowl beat softened cream cheese with apricot preserves and 1 tablespoon cake mix just until blended.
• In another bowl beat sour cream, half and half cream, eggs and almond extract on low speed with an electric mixer for abot 30 seconds or until blended; increase speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes more.
• Add in the dried apricots; mix to combine.
• Pour the sour cream cake batter into prepared baking dish.
• Drop the cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls evenly over the batter, then swirl the cream cheese batter gently with a knife.
• Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top.
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
• Cool for about 15-20 minutes, and then drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm cake.

APRICOT & ALMOND FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas and sherry and set aside for 1 hr to soak.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep, 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin, and line the base and sides with a double layer of baking parchment that comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin. In your largest mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, and the ground and flaked almonds. Next, add the soaked sultanas with any remaining sherry, the dried apricots, the mixed peel, and all the zest and juice. Scrape into the cake tin, smoothing out the surface.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hr 25 mins. Poke with a skewer in the centre to check it is cooked - if the skewer comes out with any uncooked mixture stuck to it, bake for 10 mins more before checking again. Cool in the tin. Decorated, or wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil, the cake will keep for up to a month.

APRICOT, ALMOND & PINEAPPLE SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. In another bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Transfer half the batter to a greased 10-in. springform pan. Mix pineapple and apricot preserves; drop by tablespoonfuls over batter. Carefully top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 60-65 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool completely. Remove rim from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired.

APRICOT AND ALMOND SNACK CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
• Fold in sour cream and almond extract.
• Fold in flour mixture until well blended.
• Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan.
• Fill pan with about 1/3 of the batter. Spread half the almonds and half the apricot preserves over the batter.
• Cover with remaining batter.
• Sprinkle top with remaining almonds and apricot preserves.
• Bake at 350°F for 1 hour (or until done).
• Cool on rack. Turn out onto plate with topping side up.

APRICOT-ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch Bundt pan; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Beat in sour cream and almond extract. Beat in flour mixture until batter is smooth.
• Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Spoon apricot preserves over batter in pan, making sure preserves do not touch side of pan. Sprinkle with almonds.
• Spoon remaining batter over almonds in pan.
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.
• Serve warm or cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with powdered sugar icing.
• To prepare icing: In a medium bowl combine sifted powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir in enough additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make an icing that's easy to drizzle.

APRICOT-ALMOND-RUM POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 inch tube pan generously, and dust with ground almonds.
• Combine apricots with rum and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with almond paste and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy.
• Mix in apricots in rum and almond extract until well blended.
• Mix in flour until well blended, but don't over mix.
• In another bowl beat egg whites until fluffy.
• Into the egg whites, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff and shiny.
• Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the creamed mixture.
• Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended but not overmixed.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cakes slightly pulls away from side of pan. I start checking at about 55 minutes.
• Note* The Rum flavor is faint, but complimentary. If you want a more pronounced rum flavor, sub rum extract for the almond extract.

APRICOT, ALMOND & POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 20-23cm round cake tin. If it has a loose bottom, you will need to wrap the outside with foil to prevent any of the caramel from leaking. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the apricots, put the granulated sugar and 75ml water into a saucepan. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved. When the sugar has melted, bring to the boil and watch the syrup until it starts to turn to a deep amber colour. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir until it has melted. Pour into the tin, then lay the apricots in it, cut-side down.
• For the cake, beat together the butter and sugar until light with an electric whisk. Add the egg a little at a time, then the zest and almond extract. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then fold them gradually into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Spoon this over the apricots and bake for 50 mins. To test it's baked, push a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool for 15 mins, then run a knife in-between the cake and the inside of the tin and invert it onto a plate. If any of the apricot halves get left behind in the tin carefully scoop them up - trying to keep their shape intact and not squash them too much - and put them back, cut-side up, on the cake. Leave the cake to cool, or serve warm if you want.
• Heat the apricot jam with 2 tbsp of water. Once the jam has dissolved, push it through a sieve to remove the bits of apricot. Leave it to cool a little - otherwise it overcooks the apricots, which should be perfectly cooked and not collapsing - then paint the jam thickly on the top of the cake. Leave this to set a little, then serve with crème fraîche or cream, if you like.

APRICOT ALMOND LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make macaroon layers:
• Trace 2 (8-inch) circles on 1 sheet of parchment paper and a third circle on second sheet. Turn sheets over and put on 2 baking sheets.
• Pulse almonds with 1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar in a food processor until very finely ground (mixture will resemble sand), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and sift in remaining 2 cups confectioners sugar, then stir until combined well.
• Beat egg whites with salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes.
• Stir whites into almond mixture until completely incorporated (batter will be thick), then divide batter evenly among traced circles on baking sheets (about 1 2/3 cups per circle), smoothing into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.Let rounds stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F. Bake macaroon layers, switching position of baking sheets halfway through cooking, until macaroons are crisp and edges are just barely pale golden, about 25 minutes. Turn off oven and let macaroons stand in oven 10 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets on racks, about 1 hour.
• Make compote while macaroon layers bake:
• Simmer dried apricots in water in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until apricots are very soft and most of liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir in preserves, then cool completely.
• Make praline almonds:
• Heat almonds in a 12-inch dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until almonds are hot but not yet colored, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners sugar and continue cooking, stirring and tossing, until almonds are lightly toasted and sugar glaze is caramelized, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer almonds to a large sheet of foil and spread into 1 layer with a fork. Cool completely.
• Make mascarpone cream:
• Just before serving, beat together mascarpone, heavy cream, and Amaretto with cleaned beaters at medium speed until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup praline almonds, then fold remainder into cream.
• Put 1 macaroon layer on a platter and spread with one third of compote (about 1/2 cup), then spread one fourth of mascarpone cream (about 3/4 cup) on top. Make another layer with second macaroon in same manner. Top with remaining macaroon, remaining compote, and remaining cream (1 1/2 cups), then sprinkle with reserved praline almonds.