Apricot Cake With Apricot Buttercream Food

APRICOT BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a 23cm-deep cake tin (preferably not loose-based, see tip below) and line the base with silicone or baking parchment. Mix the topping ingredients and spread over the base of the tin.
• Mix the milk and vanilla together. Put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk with a tabletop or hand electric mixer until the mixture is thick, pale and increased in volume, about 5 mins. Test it is ready by lifting the whisk blades - if the mixture briefly leaves a trail, you are ready to proceed.
• Add one-third of the flour and whisk slowly to incorporate, then one-third of the milk and mix again. Repeat twice more until all the flour and milk is added. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.
• Halve and stone the apricots. Place, cut-side down, in the base of the tin. Pour the cake batter over the top and slide into the oven. Bake for 1-1¼ hrs until the cake is firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Cool the cake in the tin for 20 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, peel off the lining paper and serve warm or cold.

APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little of the butter to grease a 9-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom. Dust the pan with a little of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Cream the remaining butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture and the vanilla.
• Spread the batter in the baking pan. Arrange the apricot slices on the top. Put in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the top of the cake looks fairly firm and is just beginning to brown.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar, return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cake is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Serve the cake while it is still warm, with creme fraiche, whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.

APRICOT CAKE WITH APRICOT BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Apricot Cake.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Trace the bottoms of two 9" X 1 1/2" cake pans onto parchment paper. Cut out the outlines. Butter and flour both pans, knocking out excess flour. Place traced parchment paper on pan bottoms.
• Pour apricot nectar into a microwave-safe liquid measuring glass. Microwave on high-power until nectar is reduced by half (should measure 1 1/2 cups). This will take 10-15 minutes. Be sure to watch as nectar reduces to ensure that it does not reduce too much. Refrigerate reduced nectar until no longer warm to the touch.
• Meanwhile, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
• In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• Beat for a total of 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl.
• Then add flour mixture to creamed mixture.
• Finally, add 3/4 cup cooled apricot nectar to mixture.
• Beat for two minutes.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tests done.
• Cool in pans on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife along the edge of the pans and invert onto cooling racks to cool completely.
• Apricot Buttercream.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
• In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks.
• In a small heavy saucepan, heat 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbling. Stop stirring and cook mixture until it reaches 248-250 F, the firm ball stage. It will be thick and gooey.
• Immediately pour the syrup into the prepared egg whites, beat constantly with an electric mixer or hand mixer. Continue beating until mixture is completely cool, 3-5 minutes.
• Beat in the butter 1 Tbs at a time. If the mixture looks curdled, it is likely too cool. Let it sit at room temperature and continue to beat in butter until completely smooth. It will be curdled at first but it will set up when beaten if you allow it to come to room temperature!
• Beat in the remaining 3/4 cup reduced apricot nectar. Allow mixture to come to room temperature and it will set up smoothly when beaten.

APRICOT BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Drain apricot halves. Mash apricots to make 1/2 cup and reserve the juice.
• Cream butter and gradually add sugar until creamed well together.
• Add 3 unbeaten eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each.
• Combine 1/2 cup of water with apricots and 1/2 cup of apricot juice.
• Add alternately with flour to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and blend well after each.
• Pour into 2 9-inch round layer pans, well greased and lightly floured on the bottom.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Cool and frost with your favorite cream cheese icing *optional*.

APRICOT AND CINNAMON CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 170c. Butter and base line a cake tin.
• Combine the flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar and apricots. Mix the honey and milk together and add to the dry mixture with the eggs. Mix well with a metal or wooden spoon.
• Spoon into cake tin.
• Bake for 1hour 20min until firm to touch, turn onto wire rack, while warm glaze with honey then glaze again while cooling.

FRUITCAKE WITH APRICOT BUTTER ICING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin with a little bit of the butter, then line with greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Wrap a couple of sheets of newspaper around the outside of the tin, then secure with string.
• In a food processor, whizz the almonds with the flour until the mix resembles crumbs. Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then fold in the flour and almonds, dried fruit and brandy. Scrape into the tin, level the surface and bake for 1 hr 15 mins, until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
• When the cake is completely cold, make the icing quickly by beating the butter, jam and icing sugar until pale. Don't allow the butter to get too warm or overbeat as the icing might split. Swirl all over the cake, then leave in a cool place to set (but not the fridge).

APRICOT FROSTING

Steps:

• Cream butter (until lightened in color and fluffy) in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium high speed.
• Reduce speed to medium, and add sugar in 1/2 cup at a time.
• Mix in vanilla and Apricot Whip.
• Use immediately or refrigerate airtight up to 3 days and stir before using.