Nigella Lawson shared in Simply Nigella the recipe for a simple yet fragrant cake that is light and fluffy, and that all your guests will love.
According to the star chef, this dessert is “simple, beautiful, fragrant and beguiling” and it serves eight to 10 people, making it ideal for any gatherings this summer.
How to make Nigella Lawson’s apricot almond cake with rosewater and cardamom
Ingredients
- 150g/5½oz ready-to-eat dried apricots
- Two cardamom pods, cracked
- 200g/7oz ground almonds
- 50g/1¾oz fine polenta (not instant)
- One tsp baking powder (gluten-free if required)
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- Six large free-range eggs
- Two tsp lemon juice
- One tsp rosewater
- non-stick cooking spray or sunflower oil for greasing
To decorate
- Two tsp rose petal or apricot jam
- One tsp lemon juice
- 2.5 tsp very finely chopped pistachios
Instructions
Place the dried apricots in a small saucepan, cover them with 250ml/9fl oz of cold water, and add the cracked cardamom pods with their seeds. Heat the mixture until it boils, then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t run dry, as the apricots will continue to absorb water as they cool. Remove the pan from the heat and let the apricots cool on a cold, heatproof surface.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease the sides of a springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
Set aside five of the apricots and tear each in half. Discard the cardamom husks, keeping the seeds in the pan.
Transfer the sticky mixture from the pan to a food processor. Add the ground almonds, polenta, baking powder, caster sugar, and eggs, and blend thoroughly.
Open the processor, scrape down the batter, add two teaspoons of lemon juice and the rosewater, and blend again. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the apricot halves around the edge of the tin.
Bake for 40 minutes. If the cake begins to brown too much before it is done, cover it loosely with foil around the 30-minute mark. The cake is done when it pulls away from the edges, the top is firm, and a tester comes out with only a few damp crumbs.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack. If using apricot jam for decoration, warm it slightly to make it easier to spread. Rose petal jam, being soft-set, should spread easily.
Mix a teaspoon of lemon juice into the jam and brush it over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and let the cake cool in the tin before transferring it to a plate.
