Every year my husband and I take a week on the beach (I am a New Yorker, so I will never get used to saying “the Shore”). We really love it there, since there is so much to do. I love walking through all the different towns; there are antique stores and dreamy little coffee shops mixed in with upscale boutiques and Mom and Pop bookstores. There are beautiful wineries, vineyards, and food festivals to attend, and tucked amid the mansions are sleepy little cottages and historic homes.
My favorite part, of course, is all the locally grown produce and freshly baked treats that can be found at farm stands. These stands are usually run by the owners of the farms, who, in addition to growing their produce, also make pies and jams. They are so talented, and you can taste the love and care that goes into making these delicious creations.
This year, I couldn’t resist picking up some apricots. While I am not a big fan of apricots in general, they looked so beautiful that I knew I would like them if they were cooked up correctly. I looked up some recipes and found this little gem that turned me into an apricot lover pronto. The original called for 10 to 11 small apricots, but I used 8 since mine seemed bigger than usual. The rule here is to use as many as you can tuck into the pan.
The apricots are the true stars of this delicious cake. They add a tangy delight to an otherwise sweet cake. The buttermilk makes it moist and almost creamy, and the vanilla and almond combine happily to create perfect savory goodness. You are going to love this cake, and I betcha can’t eat just one piece. Nope, this is definitely a second-helping treat.
*I didn’t realize I was using a grill pan and not a skillet until I turned over the cake and saw those lines. UGH! Don’t make the same mistake I did. It kind of made the cake look wierd in the picture, but it still tasted awesome.
This recipe is courtesy of Epicurious and will serve 8 people who will want to dive in for a third slice.
For the Topping:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
10 or 11 small (2- to 2 1/4-inch) fresh apricots (1 1/4 lb), halved lengthwise and pitted
For the Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Special equipment: a 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet (at least 2 inches deep)
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Make Topping:
Heat butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.
Reduce heat to low and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter, then cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all of the sugar will melt).
Remove skillet from heat and arrange apricot halves, cut sides down, close together on top of brown sugar.
Make cake batter:
Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt into a small bowl.
Beat together butter, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 3 to 4 minutes with a handheld mixer.
Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat until mixture is creamy and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beat just until combined.
Gently spoon batter over apricots and spread evenly.
Bake cake:
If your skillet isn’t ovenproof, wrap handle with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) before baking.
Bake cake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Wearing oven mitts, immediately invert a large plate over skillet and, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate.
Carefully lift skillet off cake and, if necessary, replace any fruit that is stuck to bottom of skillet.
Cool to warm or room temperature.
It’s that simple!
