ALMOND, PINE NUT, & APRICOT CAKE
Almond-Apricot Pine Nut Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup almonds, toasted (For Cake Batter)
- 1/4 Cup sliced almonds, toasted (For Topping)
- 1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted, (For Cake Batter)
- 1/4 Cup pine nuts toasted, (For Topping)
- 1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Cup chopped dried apricots
- 4 Large eggs
- 1 1/4 Cup sugar
- 1 1/2 Sticks butter, melted
- 1/3 Cup milk
- 1/4 Teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a 9” round cake pan, or an 8” square pan. Spray or grease the pan and then use parchment paper cut to fit-to line the bottom. Spray or grease the parchment.
CAKE
- Using a food processor, combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the to a bowl. Add the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and chopped Apricots. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the Eggs and the Sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the Melted Butter, Milk, and Almond Extract, and blend together.
- Gently stir in the dry ingredients and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts
- Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes.
- Let the cake cool 10-15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Place a plate over the cake & flip it over to release it from the pan. Place your serving plate on the cake and flip it back over.
- Slice and serve with your favorite topping: creme fraiche, Greek yogurt, sour cream, whipped cream, or ice cream. *You can also make an apricot syrup by heating apricot preserves and adding a little lemon juice or water. (I use 1 Tbsp of preserves & 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or water per serving. Add just enough liquid to get it to a syrup consistency.) Enjoy!
Notes
I’ve experimented with this recipe over the years and have also had success with the following variations.
- Used 1/2 the sugar, and it still tastes great. If you have a favorite sugar substitute I would encourage you to try that too.
- For the flour: I’ve used a combination of 1/4 C. Polenta and 1C. flour. This adds a great texture found in polenta cakes and cornbreads.
- For the flour: I’ve used gluten free 1:1 (Bob’s Red Mill is my preference.)
- I’ve added 1 Tablespoon (or 2 ,…Shhh!) of Controu, and it’s lovely. Please play with the flavors of your favorite liquors
- For the butter: I’ve used a combination of 6 Tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup of Olive Oil. This moves the flavor to an olive oil cake-which I love!
- All-in-all, this is another great recipe that you can play around with and discover your favorite combinations.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 45gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 313mgPotassium: 267mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 779IUCalcium: 88mgIron: 2mg
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