This apricot spice cake is delicious served with a blob of yoghurt and hot cup of tea for afternoon guests. Best eaten within a couple of days in this humid weather or keep it in the fridge for a few days. I give it 30 seconds in the microwave to bring it back to life if needed, along with some caramel sauce.
APRICOT AND SPICE CAKE
Serves 8-10
Base
100g butter
100g brown sugar
8 apricots, halved, stone removed
Cake
80g butter, softened
80g brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup treacle
1½ cups plain flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup natural yoghurt
½ cup cream
1. Preheat an oven 170C. Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.
2. For the base, melt the butter and sugar in a frying pan until the sugar has dissolved. Add the apricots and, turning once, cook until just starting to soften. Remove the apricots and place evenly into the base of the cake tin. Reserve the butter mixture.
3. For the cake, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and treacle, mixing well.
4. Stir through the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and yoghurt. Pour on top of the apricots, smooth the top and place into the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Warm the reserved butter in the pan then pour in the cream stirring to become the caramel sauce.
6. Serve the cake with the sauce. It is delicious warm.
