Valeria's Apricot Cake

This recipe comes to us from cook school instructor Valeria, who says that plums, peaches, apples, cherries or other stone fruits would be just as good here.

Makes 1 (25cm) cake

Ingredients

5-6 ripe apricots, stoned and halved
190g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder, sifted
Pinch of salt
125g caster sugar
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest from one lemon, finely grated
2 medium eggs, room temperature
60ml whole milk
Sliced almonds, to decorate (optional)
Icing sugar, to decorate (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC fan. Take a 25cm tart or cake tin with a loose bottom and carefully coat it with a little butter and a dusting of flour. Stone and halve the apricots, and set aside. Sift the cake flour and baking powder together, and add a pinch of salt. Mix and set aside (see 'BK Tips').
2. With an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. The sugar granules should almost disappear to the touch. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. In batches, add the sifted flour mixture, alternating with the milk – always start and finish with the dry ingredients. Beat just until everything is incorporated, and take care not to overmix. 
3. Transfer the batter into the tart or cake tin and arrange the halved apricots on top of the batter. Do not apply too much pressure, or the fruit will sink and almost disappear while baking. Scatter the sliced almonds on top, if using. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before unmolding. When completely cold, dust with some icing sugar. Serve as it is, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.