APRICOT ALMOND CAKE WITH ROSEWATER AND CARDAMOM
This is my idea of a perfect cake: simple, beautiful, fragrant and beguiling. I've been making this sort of cake, in one form or another, since my clementine cake in "How To Eat," and I can't help but feel, with a certain calm excitement, that it has reached its apogee here. This is invitingly easy to make, and while I love the poetry of its ingredients, the cake doesn't overwhelm with its Thousand-and-One-Nights scent. Rosewater can be a tricky ingredient: a little, and it's all exotic promise; a fraction too much and we're in bubble bath territory. One of the things that makes this so easy, is that you can throw all the ingredients into a food processor. But if you don't have one, simply chop the prepared dried apricots and cardamom seeds very finely and then beat together with the remaining cake ingredients.
Provided by Nigella Lawson : Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 20m
Yield 8 to 10 slices
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Put the dried apricots into a small saucepan, cover them with the cold water, and drop in the cracked cardamom pods with their fragrant seeds. Put on the heat, then bring to the boil and let it bubble for 10 minutes--don't stray too far away from the pan, as by the end of the 10 minutes the pan will be just about out of water and you want to make sure it doesn't actually run dry as the apricots will absorb more water as they cool.
- Take the pan off the heat, place on a cold, heatproof surface and let the apricots cool. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4/350 degrees F. Grease the sides of your springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
- Remove 5 of the dried apricots and tear each in half, then set aside for the time being. Discard the cardamom husks, leaving the seeds in the pan.
- Pour and scrape out the sticky contents of the pan into the bowl of a food processor. Add the almond meal, polenta, baking powder, superfine sugar and eggs, and give a good long blitz to combine.
- Open the top of the processor, scrape down the batter, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the rosewater, and blitz again, then scrape into the prepared tin and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the apricot halves around the circumference of the tin.
- Bake for 40 minutes, though if the cake is browning up a lot before it's actually ready, you may want to cover loosely with foil at the 30-minute mark. When it's ready, the cake will be coming away from the edges of the tin, the top will feel firm, and a cake tester will come out with just one or two damp crumbs on it.
- Remove the cake to a wire rack. If you're using apricot jam to decorate, you may want to warm it a little first so that it's easier to spread; rose petal jam is so lusciously soft-set, it shouldn't need any help. Stir a teaspoon of lemon juice into the jam and brush over the top of the cake, then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and leave the cake to cool in its tin before unspringing and removing to a plate.
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Terry Kleinbooi
[email protected]This cake was delicious! The apricots and almonds added a nice sweetness and crunch, and the rosewater and cardamom gave it a unique flavor. I would definitely recommend this cake to others.
Muhammad Asghar Chishti
[email protected]This cake was a bit too sweet for my taste, but it was still very good. The apricots and almonds were a nice touch, and the rosewater and cardamom gave it a unique flavor. I would recommend this cake to others who like sweet desserts.
Abu Sefiyat
[email protected]I loved this cake! The flavors were perfect and the cake was moist and fluffy. I will definitely be making this again.
Upendra Upendra
[email protected]This cake was easy to make and turned out beautifully. It was moist and flavorful, and the glaze added a nice touch of sweetness. I will definitely be making this again.
Alex On60fps
[email protected]This cake was a bit dry, but the flavor was still good. I think I might add some more butter or oil next time.
scarlett Guzman
[email protected]This cake was delicious! The apricots and almonds added a nice sweetness and crunch, and the rosewater and cardamom gave it a unique flavor. I would definitely recommend this cake to others.
Md Juneid
[email protected]I'm not a baker, but this recipe was easy to follow and the cake turned out great. The flavors were perfect and the cake was moist and fluffy. I will definitely be making this again.
bbalthazar
[email protected]This cake was a hit at my party! Everyone loved the unique flavor and the moist texture. I will definitely be making this again.
Adwoa Pretty
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the cake turned out perfectly. It was moist and fluffy, and the flavors were well-balanced. I would definitely make this cake again.
Irene Addo
[email protected]This cake was a bit too sweet for my taste, but it was still very good. The apricots and almonds were a nice touch, and the rosewater and cardamom gave it a unique flavor. I would recommend this cake to others who like sweet desserts.
Gilbert Sondashi
[email protected]This cake was easy to make and turned out beautifully. I used fresh apricots from my garden and they were perfect. The cake was moist and flavorful, and the glaze added a nice touch of sweetness. I will definitely be making this again.
Naula Scovia
[email protected]I'm not usually a fan of fruit cakes, but this one was surprisingly delicious. The apricots added a subtle sweetness and the almonds gave it a nice crunch. The rosewater and cardamom gave it a unique and exotic flavor. I would definitely recommend th
nazmul Khan
[email protected]This cake was a delight! The flavors of apricot, almond, rosewater, and cardamom blended together perfectly. The texture was moist and fluffy, and the cake had a beautiful golden brown crust. I will definitely be making this again.