Cake with apricots, raspberries, and almonds
Apricot, Raspberry, and Almond Cake - a Summer Delight
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Number of servings: 10
In search of a quick, elegant, and delicious dessert, the apricot, raspberry, and almond cake is the perfect choice! This cake not only looks spectacular, but its fine taste will delight any guest. Get ready to bring a touch of summer into every slice, with fresh flavors and crunchy textures.
### Ingredients:
- 200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 200 g flour
- 1 packet of baking powder (about 10 g)
- 100 g ground almonds
- 150 g fresh apricots, halved
- 150 g fresh raspberries
- A pinch of salt
- Zest of one lemon
### Preparation Instructions:
1. Preparing the ingredients: Start by preheating the oven to 180°C (160°C with fan). Prepare a 23 cm diameter cake pan by lining it with parchment paper or greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour.
2. Making the batter: In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until the mixture is creamy and light in color. This step is essential for achieving an airy cake. Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is well incorporated before adding the next.
3. Incorporating dry ingredients: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter and egg mixture, gently folding with a spatula. Finally, add the lemon zest for an extra touch of flavor.
4. Adding the fruits: Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Carefully place the apricot halves and raspberries on top, making sure they are evenly distributed for an attractive cake appearance.
5. Baking: Place the pan in the oven and bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It’s important not to open the oven door in the first 30 minutes to prevent the cake from collapsing.
6. Cooling and serving: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. You can dust powdered sugar on top before serving for an elegant look.
### Useful Tips:
- Seasonal fruits: If you don’t have apricots or raspberries on hand, you can use peaches, cherries, or even blueberries. Each variation will bring a different note to your cake.
- Crunchy texture: For an extra crunch, you can add slivered almonds or chopped nuts on top before baking the cake.
- Serving: This cake pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, enhancing the fruity flavors.
- Gluten-free version: If you want a gluten-free option, you can replace the flour with a mix of almond flour and coconut flour, taking care with the proportions.
This apricot, raspberry, and almond cake is not just a summer dessert but also a culinary experience that will turn any meal into a festive occasion. Enjoy every slice and savor the fresh flavors!
Almond Dacquoise: Almond flour is mixed with icing sugar. The egg whites are whipped with powdered sugar until stiff and glossy. Then, the almond mixture is added, and gently mixed with a silicone spatula or whisk. On parchment paper, two circles are drawn, which are filled with the above mixture, leveled with a spatula, and then baked in a preheated oven at 170°C for 35 minutes with the oven door slightly ajar. They are removed and allowed to cool. LADYFINGERS: The egg yolks are mixed with 35g of sugar and vanilla essence until lightened. The egg whites are whipped with a pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice, then halfway through whipping, 55g of sugar is added. The yolks are added to the egg whites. Then, flour is added to the mixture. On parchment paper, two rectangles are drawn, and inside them, ladyfingers are piped in two 7cm wide strips using a piping bag with a 1cm diameter tip. They are dusted with icing sugar, left for 5 minutes, and dusted again. I also sprinkled chocolate vermicelli. They are baked for 12-15 minutes. They are removed from the paper and one of the long sides is straightened by cutting with a knife. APRICOT MOUSSELINE: The crushed apricot pulp and milk are heated in a small saucepan. The sugar is mixed with the egg yolks until lightened, then cornstarch is added and homogenized. Then, a little of the hot milk-apricot mixture is poured over them, mixed, and everything is poured back into the saucepan over the remaining milk. It continues until boiling, then the heat is turned off. Gelatin is softened and then dissolved (according to package instructions). It is added to the mixture along with the butter, and after it has completely cooled, it is mixed slightly until airy, and whipped cream is added. RASPBERRY JELLY: The raspberries and sugar are heated. When it starts to boil, cornstarch is added, and it is left on the heat until it thickens slightly. Gelatin is softened and dissolved. Then it is added to the raspberries when they are warm. ALMOND MOUSSE: Before it starts to boil, the yolks are added. It is cooked in a bain-marie until slightly thickened (85°C). Gelatin is softened and dissolved, then added to the mixture when it is warm. Whipped cream (200g) is whipped with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and added to the cream when it has cooled. ASSEMBLY: A removable ring is placed on the serving platter. The two strips of ladyfingers are arranged all around, one continuing from the other. One of the dacquoise layers is placed inside, then the apricot mousseline is poured in. The tray is placed in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then the second dacquoise is placed, followed by the raspberry jelly, and then frozen for another 5 minutes. The almond mousse is poured in and refrigerated again. Then a glaze is made according to preference (I had a packet of raspberry jelly). The decoration is done with whipped cream and raspberries-apricots in a hurry, as I was pressed for time. The taste is, however, outstanding; the combination is perfect! A delicate and delicious cake. The recipe for Cake with Apricots, Raspberries, and Almonds was proposed by Daneza13 on the recipe forum. Enjoy! Serve the cake with apricots, raspberries, and almonds whenever you crave something exceptionally good!
Ingredients: Almond dacquoise (two discs with a diameter of 22 cm) according to Pierre Herme's recipe: 135 g almond powder, 150 g icing sugar (powdered sugar with up to 5% starch), 50 g powdered sugar, 5 egg whites. BISCUITS: 3 separated eggs, 90 g sugar, 60 g flour, vanilla, a little icing sugar for sprinkling. APRICOT MOUSSELINE: 100 g apricots (I used canned), 100 g milk, 65 g sugar, 2.5 egg yolks (50 g) - (you will need another 1.5 yolks for another cream, so see how you divide one in half), 16 g starch, 100 g butter, 5 g gelatin, 55 g liquid cream. RASPBERRY JELLY: 4-5 gelatin sheets, 425 g fresh or frozen raspberries, 70 g sugar, 15 g starch. ALMOND MOUSSE: 25 g marzipan, 70 g milk, 4-5 g gelatin, 70 g + 200 g liquid cream, 1.5 egg yolks (30 g), vanilla essence.
