Apricot Almond Cake with Amaretto. Easy Frangipane

I found this recipe some years ago: it lives in my special hand written cake book- the one that is devoted to cakes that really work. It is my favourite cake recipe and gets adapted according to the season. The lack of a pastry base makes it so easy and quick to prepare. The original recipe calls for pears, but I am substituting apricots. Ripe peaches and nectarines work quite well too. I am yet to try it with cherries. The apricots are in season, and I must be quick before Mr Tranquillo and the visiting humanoid fruit bats eat the lot!

Torta di Mandorla, Albicocca e Amaretto

Italian Almond and Apricot Cake with Amaretto.

Ingredients

  • 125 g softened unsalted butter
  •  150 g castor sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 375 g almond meal
  • 2 Tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
  •  7 or more apricots large, ripe, enough to fill the tart
  • 25 g flaked almonds

Method

  1.  Preheat oven to 180c /160c FF. Grease and line a 25 cm loose bottom tin.
  2. Place butter and sugar and eggs in a stand mixing bowl and beat for 5 minutes until thick and pale.Image
  3. Stir in the flour mixed with the baking powder, then fold in the almond meal, followed by the Amaretto.  Pour into the prepared tin.
  4. Arrange halved apricot over the top and lightly press down so they are submerged. Scatter the top with the flaked almonds.
  5. Bake for 45- 50 mins. Cool in tin.
  6. ImageImage

Cool, dust with icing sugar. Serve with a small glass of Amaretto.

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This keeps well in the fridge for a few days. Re- warm slices briefly in microwave.

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40 thoughts on “Apricot Almond Cake with Amaretto. Easy Frangipane”

  1. What a delicious sounding cake. I know I would love this cake but I don’t think I can find apricots now. I think I will try it with the pears and look forward to making it with apricots later. đŸ™‚

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  4. I love old recipes like this – they are so tried and true. And I love how you substituted apricots – one of my most favourite fruits. It’s almost apricot season here and I can’t wait to stock up xx

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  6. I love apricot cakes – had wonderful apricots a few weeks back from the farmers market and keep meaning to go back for more (the supermarket just doesn’t understand apricots) – and this one looks delicious

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  20. ooh, you make it sound so easy that even I could do it! (im culninary challenged, lol)
    and i really love that photo of the recipe book — whiffs of a bygone era.
    oh, and recently on my italian adventure, i got to appreciate this concept of amaretto via gelatos – super yum! đŸ™‚

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    1. It is really easy Debbie, and such a favourite with all those who have made it. Worth keeping a bottle of Amaretto around- you could just pour it over some good vanilla icecream and cheat.

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  26. Hello! I made this cake this past summer when apricots were in season. I was so afraid that the abundant filling wouldn’t bake properly and sink or worse, be half-raw but it turned out beautifully!!! It was delicious! Loved the tang of the apricots against the sweet frangipane. Since I live alone, I froze about half of it. Thawed it out at room temperature. The frangipane was fine but the apricots had a weird aftertaste. My suggestion would be to make this without the apricots if you want to freeze it. I’m tempted to make it again with pears now that they’re in season. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!!

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    1. Hi Margaret. Glad you enjoyed it. I have never frozen this, though I find it keeps quite well in the fridge for a week. Usually if I have too much cake, I give one half to someone else. I often find frozen cakes disappointing.
      The pear version is fantastic, as is the cherry version, both somewhere on my blog. Happy Baking.

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