The perfect easy apricot torte

If you are looking for the perfect easy apricot torte, then you have come to the right place. This is a recipe adapted from Marrion Burro’s famous purple plum torte. It’s a simple one-layer cake embedded with ripe plums that is just perfection. Apricots work just as well here.

I had been given a load of new season apricots from a friend who got them in Calitzdorp. An area known for stone fruit. They were so delicious and after making a few batches of my easiest quick 8-minute apricot jam, I was looking for other ways to use up the rest.

What I love the most about this recipe is it takes about 5 minutes to make and then you stud the entire surface with halved apricots and then bake. The Apricots turn into soft puddles of jam in the cake and its delicious served with Chantilly cream or vanilla-spiked crème fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A tot or two of something boozy brushed over the torte as it comes out the oven would not go amiss either.

Whilst this apricot torte is a lovley teatime treat, I ike to serve it as a summer dessert with said cream or ice cream. The fruit moves it over to the pudding side of things. This is effortless entertaining.

You want the apricots to be ripe but not falling apart. A firm unripe apricot will not work here. As they are still a little tart even when ripe, I find this torte needs a good sprinkle of light brown sugar to sweeten it. You can also use muscovado, Demerara or coconut sugar with will give it a more caramel flavour that would be lovely.

A few other stone fruit desserts you will love

Easy apricots poached in chamomile tea

The best cherry galette with flaky crust

Easy plum tarte tatin

Nectarine, blueberry and bourbon pie

Easy plum frangipane galette

Tips & substitutions

Apricots and almonds are the perfect partners so you could sub a quarter of the flour with almond flour and add a teaspoon of almond extract. To add almonds on the top, sprinkle flaked almonds over the cake for the last 20 minutes of the baking time.

This recipe makes one smallish torte which will serve 6 -8 

The perfect easy apricot torte

An easy one layer vanilla cake filled with apricots and dusted with icing sugar

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:50 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 150 gms 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons for the topping
• 115 gms 1/2 cup or 1 stick butter at room temperature (add a pinch of salt if you are using unsalted butter)
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 125 grams 1 cup of all-purpose flour or cake flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract optional
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 7-8 fresh and ripe apricots halved and pitted

Instructions

• Preheat over to 180C / 350F.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and the 150 grams of sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time making sure each is well incorporated before adding the next.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly until just combined.
• Spoon the cake batter into a greased 23 cm / 9-inch springform cake tin with the bottom lined with baking paper and smooth the top.
• Arrange the halved apricots, skin side up evenly over the batter. Sprinkle the top with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes and until the cake is golden and a sharp knife inserted into the center part of the cake comes out clean. If your cake is over-browning, loosely cover it with foil from about ¾ of the way through the baking time. Cool on rack.
• Once cool, remove it from the tin. Serve this with whipped Chantilly cream dolloped on top or with a light sifting of icing sugar.

Servings: 6

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