Apricot Almond Layer Cake Food

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.

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.

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.

APRICOT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a small heavy saucepan, cook butter over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Pour into a large bowl; beat in confectioners' sugar and orange juice. , Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the apricot preserves. Top with a second layer; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with a third layer; spread with remaining apricot preserves. Top with the remaining layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting., Sprinkle with nuts. Store in the refrigerator.

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

APRICOT ALMOND LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray that contains flour. You may also just grease the pans lightly and then add flour, tapping the pan and dumping all the loose flour.
• In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening until smooth.
• Add sugar and beat about 4 minutes. Scrape sides with a spatula a couple of times during this process. The mixture will be white and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one and a time.
• Add flavorings to the measured buttermilk.
• Alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk mixture. Always begin with dry and end with dry. Don't overmix. Just beat until incorporated.
• Pour evenly among pans. Bake 30 minutes. Touch top lightly. If it springs back, the cake is done.
• Cool 5 minutes and then turn onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
• In a small bowl, add water to the jelly or jam and stir well so that it will be easier to spread onto the layers.
• Spread a generous layer onto two of the layers.
• Cream the butter until smooth.
• Add sugar one cup at a time, beating until well blended.
• Add flavoring and milk until you get a spreadable consistency.
• To assemble, you spread the jam on the bottom layer, then icing over the top of the jam and continue. Decorate with almonds. You can even add some to the sides.

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 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.

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 TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, almonds, baking powder and salt; gradually fold into egg mixture alternately with the whipped cream., Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in extract. Fold in whipped cream., Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer; spread with half the preserves. Repeat layers. Frost sides of cake; decorate the top edge with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with almonds.

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.

HEAVENLY HONEY AND APRICOT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray or lightly coat with vegetable oil.
• Make fruit layer for the cake by mixing together the first 4 ingredients.
• Then sprinkle the flour over the fruit and stir a few times to blend.
• In a large bowl, mix honey, oil, arrowroot slurry and vanilla.
• In a small bowl, combine the flours, ground almond, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Sift flour mixture into the honey mixture and stir to blend.
• Pour slightly less than half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
• Spoon the fruit mixture evenly over the batter and then cover with the remaining batter.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cover the pan with tin foil and bake another 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out cleanly.
• Cook cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing the sides.
• Cool cake completely before slicing.

EASY ALMOND APRICOT COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth and fluffy. On low speed of mixer, blend in sour cream and extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix just until combined. Sprinkle half of almonds in a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Spread half of batter over nuts. Carefully spoon half of preserves over batter, keeping preserves away from edges of pan. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Spoon on remaining batter; add remaining preserves to center of batter. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.

APRICOT FILLING AND FROSTING FOR ANGEL FOOD CAKES

Steps:

• Heat apricots by placing them in a bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for about 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Soften gelatin in the cold water. Blend apricots into the gelatin. Add lemon juice, sugar and salt and mix. Chill until slightly thickened (about 1 hour).
• Whip the cooled apricot mixture until frothy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the apricot mixture.
• Split cake into 2 or 3 layers. Fill between layers, and frost side and top. Chill overnight.

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.