Maple Roasted Apricot and Almond Streusel Cake

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Moist and loaded with almonds and roasted apricots, this incredibly flavourful cake has a wonderful balance of flavours and contrasting textures. Roasting the apricots not only intensifies their flavour, it reduces the liquid content in the fruit which allows you to incorporate even more fruity deliciousness into the cake. The soft, almond sponge, with hints of vanilla, provides the ideal base for these intense, sweet and tangy apricots and crunchy streusel topping. This cake is truly a delight for the senses.

How do I serve this cake?

The choice is yours. It is simply delightful with a cup of tea or coffee, it is delicious with some natural yoghurt for breakfast or brunch, and it works wonderfully well as dessert, with some ice cream, custrad or fresh cream. Your choice!

Can a streusel cake refer to both a buckle and an American coffee cake?

Yes it can! ‘Streusel cakes’ can indeed refer to both buckles and American coffee cakes. Buckles are a specific type of streusel cake that typically contain fruit, which in turn gives them the ‘buckled’ appearance. Despite their name, American coffee cakes are not necessarily flavoured with coffee. They are generally enjoyed alongside coffee or as a breakfast or brunch treat. Coffee cakes come in various flavours, and while some may include fruit, it’s not a requirement. Like buckles, they are finished with a streusel topping.

In summary, both buckles and American coffee cakes are considered streusel cakes, due to their shared use of a streusel topping. Equally, a buckle is always a coffee cake, but a coffee cake is not always a buckle. For the avoidance of doubt, I shall refer to them all as ‘streusel cakes’!

How to make Maple Roasted Apricot and Almond Streusel Cake

Where is this recipe from?

This recipe is almost identical to the recipe I use for drizzle cakes. The main difference is that I have:

• omitted the cornflour
• replaced some of the plain/all-purpose flour with ground almonds
• omitted the bicarbonate/baking soda.

The result of these changes is that the sponge is ever so slightly denser than a classic sponge cake and this, in turn, helps ensure that the fruit does not all sink to the bottom of the cake.

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the maple roast apricots –

• fresh apricots, halved, stone removed and chopped
• maple syrup
• unsalted butter

For the streusel –

• unsalted butter
• plain/all-purpose flour
• granulated or demerara sugar
• slivered almonds
• fine salt

For the cake batter –

• unsalted butter, at room temperature
• caster sugar
• eggs
• plain/all-purpose flour
• ground almonds
• baking powder
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• fine salt
• sour cream or natural yoghurt

Serve –

• choose from – ice cream, fresh cream, crème fraiche, custard, natural yoghurt

Now make this fabulous streusel cake:

1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 (fan 160°C) and grease and line a deep 20cm/8in round, loose bottomed cake tin
3. First, prepare the apricots: halve the apricots, remove the stone and chop each half into 4 or 6 pieces, depending on size.
4. Melt the butter with the maple syrup in a pan large enough to take the apricots. Add the apricots, toss well. and tip onto a roasting tray. Cook in the centre of the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until the apricots are soft and starting to caramelise around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. Next, make the crumb topping: melt the butter in a saucepan (I use the one I used to toss the apricots – there is no need to wash it!) and then add the flour, sugar, almonds and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.
6. Now make the sponge cake: it is important that the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat. If it is a little hard, beat it with a whisk before adding the other ingredients. If it is already quite soft, you do not need to do this.
7. Measure all the remaining cake ingredients into the mixing bowl with the butter. I place my mixing bowl on top of the scales and weigh everything in directly.
8. Use an electric whisk to beat until combined. This should take less than a minute. Be careful not to over-mix at this stage.
9. Fold 2/3 of the apricots into the cake batter, tip into the lined baking tin and level the surface. Scatter over the remaining apricots and press them down lightly into the cake batter.
10. Add the streusel topping: break the crumb topping into small pieces with your fingers and scatter over the top of the buckle.
11. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 60 minutes or until cooked. The crumb and all the fruit make it difficult to tell when the cake is cooked. However, the top should be slightly domed and:
    • the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger.
    • a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean of cake batter, although there may be some fruit on it.
    • the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
12. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
13. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious served either as is or with ice cream, crème fraiche, fresh cream or custard. Also wonderful with yoghurt for breakfast or brunch.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.