Apricot And Cardamom Cake

This recipe is from Cake Magic by Kate Shirazi, a former nurse from the UK who turned to making cupcakes for a living.  Good choice, Kate!  This is a simple cake, with a spicy little kick to it.  I enjoy cardamom in both savoury and sweet dishes, but this may confuse some people's tastebuds.  I know I'm more likely to throw some pods into my curry rather than a sweet cake like this.  But if you like a bit of spice, this is the cake for you (and me).

I recommend Kate's book if you like tasty cakes (and scones and breads, etc).  The recipes are simple to make, with the occasional 'Help, I'm not a baker!' item, like the brioche.  She does give lots of easy instructions for the harder stuff, though.

I remember making an apricot purée for a fruity fool (the recipe, not a housemate) years ago when I lived in a student share-house.  We didn't have any great kitchen gear so my fool was this chunky, weird, creamy, soupy porridge.  My housemates were not impressed!  Anyway, this is not like that, my friends; fear not.  

fruity and spicy and not too sweet

Serves 10:

ingredients:

250-300g./9-10 oz apricot halves (weighed after draining the syrup)

3 tsp cardamom pods or 2 tsp ground cardamom

175g./6 oz butter, salted or unsalted

110g./4 oz caster sugar

3 large eggs

200g./7 oz self-raising flour

1/2 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda)

50g./1.75 oz polenta

3 Tbs plain, unsweetened Greek yoghurt

For the glaze:

2 Tbs honey

2 Tbs demerara sugar

Method:

Turn on your oven to 180C/350F to heat up

Butter and line with baking paper a 20cm/8 inch cake tin (Kate says to use a loose-bottomed tin but I didn't have one and it was fine)

Take your well-drained apricots and line the bottom of the cake tin as neatly (or not) as you please

Grab your pestle and mortar, crack open the cardamom pods and scrape out the tiny black seeds then start pounding away, and crush as much as you can be bothered (and I couldn't be bothered much)

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy (I suggest electric hand beaters at the very least) 

Beat in the eggs one by one till incorporated nicely 

Sift the flour and bi-carb over the eggy mixture, chuck in the polenta and cardamom, and fold in gently

Add the yoghurt and give the batter a final, gentle folding-in

Now pour carefully over the apricots, and bake for 45-60 minutes till a skewer comes out clean from its tender belly  see Notes 

Let the cake rest in its tin for at least 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate

Mix the honey and sugar together, and drizzle/spoon it over the cake

Delicious with a cuppa!  And a little bit spicy and not too sweet

Notes:

I bought a large jar of apricot halves in juice, then drained and weighed enough of the halves till I had the requisite amount

I reckon using ground cardamom would be so much easier, quicker and would taste just fine (and would be less gritty)

I baked it at 180C/350F for 45-50 minutes

get cracking!

stirring in the dry ingredients 

the seedy batter goes into the greased and lined cake tin

and comes out golden and tender

what a fruity bottom

such a shiny, glazey top

a piece of cake :=)

lots of great recipes in here 

C. Sherry M.