This apricot cake features a light, fluffy and sweet vanilla cake that’s topped with jammy, tart apricots (or apriums!)
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apricot cake / aprium cake
Hello hello! ☺︎ Today I have for you this super delicious and light aprium cake that’s perfect for spring and summer. You’re probably wondering what the heck an aprium is – it’s a cross between an apricot and a plum, with it being more like an apricot that has a hint of plum in it. When I first found these I knew I wanted to bake them in a way that they would be the star of the show. That’s when I discovered Aprikosenkuchen, an apricot cake that’s common in Germany -which is the inspiration behind this recipe. The cake is light, fluffy, and moist, with tons of apriums on top. It’s fresh, delicious, and the perfect afternoon snack cake. And don’t fret – if you can’t find apriums, apricots are just as delicious on top of here.
So let’s get into it!
why you’ll love this apricot cake:
- It’s super moist: and tender, from the buttermilk.
- Apriums: the apriums (or apricots) offer a delicious tart contrast to the sweet cake.
- It’s super easy to make: because it’s a single layer cake, once you bake it, it’s done & ready to be enjoyed!
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
line your pan tall with parchment paper
This cake is not one that you want to flip upside down to get it out of the pan. Butter your pan, and get out a sheet of parchment paper. Crinkle up the parchment paper, then un-crinkle it and place it in your buttered pan, pressing the parchment up the sides of the pan. This will give you a way to lift the cake out of the pan (plus I happen to enjoy the little crinkles it puts in the sides – it’s a little rustic almost!)
Be careful when mixing the cake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cake go from light and moist to dense and chewy. Only mix in the dry ingredients until that last bit of flour dissapears.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
coat the apriums or apricots with flour
We’re going to dip the bottoms of the apricots into some flour to help them not sink as much into the cake. The flour on the bottom of the fruit will help form a barrier when the cake cooks, keeping the fruit towards the top of the cake.
Keep a close eye on the cake while it bakes:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for apricot cake –
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cake. I would not recommend using cake flour as the cake is already super fluffy and tender using the all purpose.
- Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the cake.
- Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and giving it that classic buttery taste. You can substitute in salted butter, just omit the extra salt from the recipe.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake it’s rise and keep it light and fluffy. We will also sprinkle some sugar on top of the cake to compliment the slight tartness of the aprium.
- Eggs: for moisture, structure, and binding the batter together.
- Vanilla: I use and love this vanilla extract. We will use some vanilla in the bundt, and some in the glaze.
- Buttermilk: for tenderizing the cake and adding moisture. I highly recommend using buttermilk but I know it can be hard or annoying to purchase, especially if you don’t plan on using it for anything else. If you need a quick substitute, I recommend a mixture of 75% milk & 25% sour cream / yogurt / greek yogurt.
- Apriums: the star of the show in this cake. If you can’t find apriums, feel free to substitute in apricots!
how to make apricot cake
apricot cake / aprium cake recipe q&a
Can I bake this cake in a different sized pan?
You could bake this in a 8″ cake pan, 8″ square pan, 9″ cake pan, or 9″ square pan. Note that in a 8″ pan the cake will be a tad taller and will probably take a few more minutes to bake.
what can I use instead of apriums?
If you can’t find apriums (I found them the first year I made this cake but couldn’t find them the next), apricots will work perfectly in their place. Peaches or plums would also be delicious here.
what to serve with apricot cake
Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a mascarpone whipped cream would all be delish with this apricot cake.
how to store apricot cake
This apricot cake will keep well for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Aprium Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 190 g all purpose flour (1 ½ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 125 g unsalted butter room temperature (9 tbsp.)
- 175 g granulated sugar (¾ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 150 g buttermilk room temperature (⅔ c.)
Aprium Topping
- 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 6 apriums* cut in half, pitted
- 25 g granulated sugar (2 tbsp.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter a 9” cake pan, and get out a sheet of parchment paper. Crinkle up the parchment paper, then un-crinkle it and place it in your buttered pan, pressing the parchment up the sides of the pan. This will give you a way to lift the cake out of the pan so that no streusel falls off of it.
Vanilla Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Rinse, halve, and pit the apriums and set them aside along with a bowl of 2 tbsp. of flour.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer, in a large bowl) beat together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in both eggs and the vanilla, and beat until well combined (~1 min.)
- Add in half of the flour mixture, and mix by hand just until the flour is incorporated. Add in all of the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add in the rest of the flour, and lightly fold the mixture together just until all of the flour is incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer
Aprium Topping
- Dip the skin side of each aprium half into the flour to coat the bottom. Place the apriums facing up in the cake batter (with the coated flour side touching the cake batter). Make sure the apriums are close together and that the top is fully coated. Sprinkle the sugar over the apriums.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Wait for the cake to cool before serving. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
I’d never had an aprium, so I bought some. The flavor was great but the fuzzy skin was a massive turn-off. Because I hate to throw things away, I started hunting for recipes and this one popped up. It looked like a riff on the apple cake my German grandma made when I was a kid. So I promptly went out and bought a 10” cake pan (yes, I spent $12 on a pan so I wouldn’t throw away $6 of apriums) and went to work. It came together quickly and smelled divine while baking. I let it cool in the pan and then turned it out on a cooling rack so I could taste it sooner, and I’m glad I didn’t wait… this cake is divine. Dense, moist crumb, with the sweetness of the vanilla a perfect counterpoint to the tart fruit. Thank you for your creative genius! Now, to figure out how to hide the rest so I don’t have to share…
Thank you so much for sharing and for your kind words. I’m so happy that those apriums led you to this recipe, and that you enjoyed the cake! 🙂