Sunday, July 22, 2012

Apricot yogurt cake

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I thought apricot season was over. But then, last week, I found the biggest, plumpest, juiciest, sweetest apricots at Bob's Market, the small family-owned grocery store in my neighborhood. Jim Jaffe, the longtime produce manager at Bob's, somehow manages to dig up delicious fruit, often very local, when it's least expected. I don't know how he does it, but I'm glad he does.


I ate most of Jim's apricots au naturel. But I saved a few for this simple cake. It's another variation on the traditional French yogurt cake, my go-to base recipe that I've adorned with everything from pears to rhubarb to Nutella. This time I macerated the apricots in a little sugar ahead of time, then added the apricot syrup that collected in the bowl to the batter. The result: a moist, fruity cake to top off breakfast, lunch or dinner.



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Apricot yogurt cake
If you can't find fresh apricots, substitute fresh plums or pluots. Canned apricots will work in a pinch, though you might need to cut down the sugar in the recipe a bit.
Ingredients
  • 3/4 pound fresh apricots, pitted and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup grapeseed or canola oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp raw sugar (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish, or one of similar size, with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.Combine the apricots and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. Let sit 15 minutes. The sugar will start to draw out the liquid in the fruit, making a syrup.In another large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, yogurt, and oil until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (I always put the baking powder and baking soda through a small strainer, as I once had the unpleasant experience of biting into a chunk of baking soda in a muffin. If you're a risk-taker, feel free to omit this step, but don't say I didn't warn you.) Whisk the batter until all the ingredients are well combined. Add the extracts and most of the liquid that's collected in the bowl of apricots; whisk again to combine.Turn half the batter into the prepared pan, then scatter over half the apricots. Repeat with the remaining batter and apricots. Sprinkle the raw sugar over the top if you're using it. Bake about 40 minutes or until the cake is set and a toothpick comes out moist but not covered in batter. Cool at least 30 minutes in the pan.Serve warm or at room temperature.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8 servings

2 comments:

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

This looks wonderful! I still have access to apricots from my friend's tree so I can try it....

yay for me...

Valentina said...

this looks seriously delicious!

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