German Apricot Cake (Aprikosenkuchen)
A simple, classic cake, gently flavored with lemon zest and almond extract and studded with fresh apricots, this Apricot Cake is the perfect anytime cake. AKA you can have it for dessert with some vanilla ice cream, or with a side of yogurt for breakfast, or just plain with your afternoon coffee.
Servings: 12
Calories: 282kcal
Equipment
- Mixer
- 9" Springform Pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake Batter
- 150 grams all purpose flour
- 50 grams whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 150 grams butter very soft
- 100 grams sour cream room temperature, full fat yogurt will work too!
- 3 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Apricots
- 5-6 apricots small
- 30 grams all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or vanilla sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Vanilla Cake Batter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together both flours, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add in the sugar, eggs, butter, almond extract, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Using the paddle attachment, first for 10 seconds on low then increase to medium high for 10 and then high speed for 10 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper or grease with a baking spray. If you don't have a springform pan, a standard cake pan will work as well.
Assemble and Bake the Apricot Cake
- Pour the vanilla batter into the lined pan. Use a rubber or offset spatula to level the cake across the top.
- Wash and cut the apricots in half, then remove the stones. Add 30 grams of all purpose flour into a small bowl.
- Dip each half of an apricot, skin side down into the flour, then place as close together as possible onto the cake. Be sure to cover the surface as much as possible.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake and apricots with two tablespoons vanilla or plain granulated sugar. Place the cake in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Then bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Try to insert the toothpick into the center without sticking it right through one of the apricots.
- Once the cake is finished baking, let it cool for 10 minutes before running a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Release the spring form and remove the cake from the pan to cool for at least 20 more minutes.
Notes
This cake is best served fresh, I love it still warm from the oven with a cup of coffee. It can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days but the crunchy sugar top will soften.
I prefer to use smaller apricots but you can use any you can find. Ripe apricots are always best but baking them kind of rapid ripens them so it's not a big deal if they're still a little firm.
All ingredients need to be at least room temperature, this means warming up the sour cream/ yogurt, making sure the eggs have sat out long enough, and the butter should be VERY soft. Not quite melted but softer than what you would usually use for cookies.
Don't over mix the cake, we mix it on high briefly to rub the butter into the other ingredients but you don't want to whip too much air into the cake or it will over puff and make the apricots sink.
This recipe has only been tested in a conventional oven so I don't recommend baking it on a convection setting.
You can substitute the apricots for small plums or peaches, but I recommend giving the apricots a try!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg