The cake bakes in a 6-inch springform, which is the right size for two: tall enough to feel substantial, small enough that every slice gets a proper share of apricot. The base is a finely chopped almond crust with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, pressed before the batter goes on top, so the bottom of each slice has a crunch that the soft, moist cake above it earns against. The lemon zest in the batter keeps the sweetness honest.
This is a seasonal recipe, and that is part of its appeal. When apricots are good, they are very good, and a 6-inch cake is the right scale to celebrate a short season without making more than two people can enjoy while the fruit is still at its best.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
FOR THE ALMOND CRUST
- Almonds
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Sugar
FOR THE CAKE
- Butter
- Sugar
- Lemon zest
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Eggs
- Apricots – peaches work in this recipe as well.
How to Make the Apricot Almond Cake
Step 1 – Grease a 6-inch springform with butter. Thick on the bottom and light on the sides. The almond crust caramelizes on the bottom and thus needs some extra butter to avoid sticking.
Step 2 – Peel/blanch the almonds. Look here how to do that.
Step 3 – Chop the almonds fine and mix with sugar and cinnamon. Divide that mixture over the bottom of the springform.
Step 4 – Mix butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt until you have a light and fluffy mixture.
Step 5 – Add the eggs, one by one, and mix until well blended.
Step 6 – Mix flour and baking powder and add that gradually to the butter/egg mixture. Then pour the batter on top of the almond-sugar-cinnamon bottom and spread out evenly.
- Step 7 – Wash and cut the apricots in slices. You can peel them if you like, but it’s not necessary. Divide the apricot slices over the cake in a patter you like. Bake for about 40 minutes in an oven of 350°F.
This is what the cake will look like, top and bottom. The batter pushing the apricot slices up, while the bottom becomes a caramelized sugar/almond crunchy bottom.
Other Cake Recipes to Try
Apricot Almond Cake for Two
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
Almond Crust
- 0.5 ounces almonds, finely chopped
- 0.5 ounces sugar
- 0.5 ounces butter, soft
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 ounces sugar
- 1/2 lemon, zest only
- 2 eggs
- 4.5 ounces flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 apricots, sliced, not peeled
Instructions
Prepare the almond crust
- Grease a 6-inch springform with butter. Thick on the bottom and light on the sides. The almond crust caramelizes on the bottom and thus needs some extra butter to avoid sticking. (NOTE 1)
- Peel/blanch the almonds. (NOTE 2)
- Chop the almonds fine and mix with sugar and cinnamon. Divide that mixture over the bottom of the spring form.
Prepare the cake batter
- Mix butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt until you have a light and fluffy mixture.
- Add the eggs, one by one, and mix until well blended.
- Mix flour and baking powder and add that gradually to the butter/egg mixture.
- Pour the batter on top of the almond-sugar-cinnamon bottom and spread out evenly.
Make the Apricot Almond Cake
- Wash and cut the apricots in slices. (NOTE 3). Divide the apricot slices over the cake in a pattern you like.
- Bake for about 40 minutes in an oven of 350°F.
Notes
- The almond-sugar combination will caramelize and in order to avoid that from sticking to the bottom of the spring form a thicker layer of butter is needed.
- Check this link to see how to peel/blanch almonds.
- No need to peel the apricots, but you can if you prefer to do so.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.