Apricot Sponge Cake with Orange and Cardamom
However much we try to discover new recipes, pairings and textures, there are moments when we think back with nostalgia to the cakes we ate as children – and realise nothing compares to them. My grandmother was no expert in sophisticated cakes, but nobody could beat her fruit sponge cake. She didn’t have a great oven, whisked egg whites by hand and used oil and flour instead of baking paper – but she made it with so much love, knowing it would vanish in minutes.
Text and photos by Ana Maria Vlaicu.
With my grandmother’s cake in mind and so much fruit in season, how could I say no to an apricot sponge? It’s an easy recipe with an extraordinary result: a fluffy sponge flavoured with orange and cardamom, topped with apricots and dusted with a little powdered sugar. You can adapt it to the season and your taste, and it’s loved by children and adults alike.
The secret to a fluffy sponge
The secret is whisking the egg whites and sugar thoroughly, so the batter is very airy and strong enough to hold the fruit on top without it sinking to the bottom. Pay attention to how you fold in the flour, too: use large movements from the bottom up to keep the air in. Cardamom pairs beautifully with citrus, so orange and cardamom give this simple sponge a special flavour.
Apricot Sponge Cake with Orange and Cardamom
Ingredients
- 4 eggs (separated)
- 130 g sugar
- 50 g vegetable oil
- 5 g orange zest
- 3 g ground cardamom
- 8 g vanilla sugar
- 2 g salt
- 130 g plain flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 6 apricots (halved and stoned)
- powdered sugar (to dust (optional))
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a baking tin with baking paper.
- Separate the eggs. Mix the yolks with the oil, orange zest, cardamom and vanilla sugar.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt to stiff peaks.
- Add the sugar and keep whisking until you have a firm, glossy meringue.
- Fold in the yolk mixture with a spatula.
- Sift the flour with the baking powder over the mixture in batches, folding it in with large movements from the bottom up.
- Spread the batter in the tin, level it and arrange the apricot halves on top.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden.
- Cool before serving and dust with powdered sugar, if you like.
More apricot desserts: apricot rosemary entremet.
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