APRICOT ALMOND CAKE WITH ROSEWATER AND CARDAMOM
This is my idea of a perfect cake: simple, beautiful, fragrant and beguiling. I've been making this sort of cake, in one form or another, since my clementine cake in "How To Eat," and I can't help but feel, with a certain calm excitement, that it has reached its apogee here. This is invitingly easy to make, and while I love the poetry of its ingredients, the cake doesn't overwhelm with its Thousand-and-One-Nights scent. Rosewater can be a tricky ingredient: a little, and it's all exotic promise; a fraction too much and we're in bubble bath territory. One of the things that makes this so easy, is that you can throw all the ingredients into a food processor. But if you don't have one, simply chop the prepared dried apricots and cardamom seeds very finely and then beat together with the remaining cake ingredients.
Provided by Nigella Lawson : Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 20m
Yield 8 to 10 slices
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Put the dried apricots into a small saucepan, cover them with the cold water, and drop in the cracked cardamom pods with their fragrant seeds. Put on the heat, then bring to the boil and let it bubble for 10 minutes--don't stray too far away from the pan, as by the end of the 10 minutes the pan will be just about out of water and you want to make sure it doesn't actually run dry as the apricots will absorb more water as they cool.
- Take the pan off the heat, place on a cold, heatproof surface and let the apricots cool. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4/350 degrees F. Grease the sides of your springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
- Remove 5 of the dried apricots and tear each in half, then set aside for the time being. Discard the cardamom husks, leaving the seeds in the pan.
- Pour and scrape out the sticky contents of the pan into the bowl of a food processor. Add the almond meal, polenta, baking powder, superfine sugar and eggs, and give a good long blitz to combine.
- Open the top of the processor, scrape down the batter, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the rosewater, and blitz again, then scrape into the prepared tin and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the apricot halves around the circumference of the tin.
- Bake for 40 minutes, though if the cake is browning up a lot before it's actually ready, you may want to cover loosely with foil at the 30-minute mark. When it's ready, the cake will be coming away from the edges of the tin, the top will feel firm, and a cake tester will come out with just one or two damp crumbs on it.
- Remove the cake to a wire rack. If you're using apricot jam to decorate, you may want to warm it a little first so that it's easier to spread; rose petal jam is so lusciously soft-set, it shouldn't need any help. Stir a teaspoon of lemon juice into the jam and brush over the top of the cake, then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and leave the cake to cool in its tin before unspringing and removing to a plate.
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[email protected]This cake is very easy to make and it is perfect for any occasion.
kami malik
[email protected]This cake is a great way to use up leftover apricots.
Sphesihle Masondo123
[email protected]I would highly recommend this cake to anyone who loves apricots and almonds.
topu saha
[email protected]This cake is perfect for a summer party. It is light and refreshing.
Holly Patterson
[email protected]I made this cake for my husband's birthday and he loved it! He said it was the best cake I have ever made.
Daniel Mitevski
[email protected]This cake is very similar to a carrot cake. If you like carrot cake, you will probably like this cake.
Linet Handa
[email protected]The cake was a bit dry. I think I overbaked it. Next time I will bake it for a few minutes less.
Alisha Gilman
[email protected]I found this cake to be a bit too sweet for my taste. I would recommend reducing the amount of sugar by 1/4 cup.
Barikisu Alhassan
[email protected]This cake is very dense and rich. It is perfect for a special occasion.
Makayla Wilson
[email protected]I didn't have any rosewater so I omitted it. The cake was still very good, but I think it would have been even better with the rosewater.
AMAR PASWAN
[email protected]I substituted the apricots with peaches and it turned out great! This cake is very versatile.
Md Mosharraf
[email protected]This cake is a bit time-consuming to make, but it is definitely worth the effort! It is so delicious and unique.
Mahar Qaiser
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the cake turned out perfectly! It was so easy to make.
rachana Khanal
[email protected]This cake is so moist and flavorful! I will definitely be making it again.
Karma Tshokee
[email protected]I made this cake for a party and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved the unique flavor combination.
asanul islam
[email protected]This cake was absolutely delicious! The apricot and almond flavors were perfect together, and the rosewater and cardamom added a lovely floral and spicy note.