Cortney knows how to take full advantage of garden bounty from the last days of summer with a gorgeous Apricot Cake easy to make at home.
Try the additional two recipes in the PDF at home!
Ingredients
- 2 C. all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 C. unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pan
- 1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 C. whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 C. apricot jam
- confectioner’s sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Rub the butter on the inside of two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together with electric beaters until creamy.
Crack one of the eggs into a cup; pour it into the butter mixture and beat well. Then add a large spoonful of the flour mixture and beat well. Continue to alternate 1 egg and a large spoonful of the flour mixture until all the eggs are used up. (The reason for going slowly with the eggs and adding the flour in between is to prevent the mixture from curdling.) Now add the remaining flour mixture and fold it in thoroughly but gently with a spoon, followed by the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Using a spatula, divide the mixture evenly between the two pans and bake for 18 minutes or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
When they are completely cool, put one of the cakes, flat side up on a plate. Using an offset knife or spatula, spread it all over with the apricot jam, and top with the second cake. Sift confectioner’s sugar over the top.
You may substitute the confectioner’s sugar for a layer of chocolate ganache:
Add ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream into a pan with 2 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in 5¼ oz./150 g of chopped dark chocolate, whisking until smooth and glossy. Allow to sit for a few minutes before pouring over the top of the cake
