Nigella Lawson’s Apricot and Almond Cake is so fragrant and bakes in 40 minutes

Nigella Lawson shared in Simply Nigella the recipe for a simple but fragrant, light and fluffy cake that all your guests will love.

According to the starred chef, this dessert is “simple, beautiful, fragrant and seductive” and can accommodate eight to ten people, making it ideal for all gatherings this summer.

How to make Nigella Lawson’s Apricot and Almond Cake with Rosewater and Cardamom

Ingredients

• 150 g ready-to-eat dried apricots
• Two crushed cardamom pods
• 200 g ground almonds
• 50 g fine polenta (not instant)
• A teaspoon of baking powder (gluten-free if necessary)
• 150g powdered sugar
• Six large free-range eggs
• Two teaspoons of lemon juice
• A teaspoon of rose water
• non-stick cooking spray or sunflower oil for greasing

Decorate

• Two teaspoons of rose petal or apricot jam
• A teaspoon of lemon juice
• 2.5 teaspoons very finely chopped pistachios

Instructions

Place the dried apricots in a small saucepan, cover them with 250 ml of cold water and add the crushed cardamom pods with their seeds. Heat the mixture until boiling, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t dry out, as the apricots will continue to absorb water as they cool. Remove the pan from the heat and let the apricots cool on a cold, heat-proof surface.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Butter the sides of a springform tin and line the base with baking paper.

Reserve five apricots and tear them in half. Discard the cardamom husks, keeping the seeds in the pan.

Transfer the sticky mixture from the pan to a food processor. Add the almond powder, polenta, baking powder, caster sugar and eggs and mix well.

Open the processor, scrape out the dough, add two teaspoons of lemon juice and the rose water and mix again. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the apricot halves around the edge of the mold.

Bake for 40 minutes. If the cake begins to brown too much before it is done, cover it loosely with foil after 30 minutes. The cake is done when it comes away from the edges, the top is firm, and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Transfer the cake to a rack. If you use apricot jam for decoration, warm it slightly so that it is easier to spread. The rose petal jam, being soft, should spread easily.

Mix a teaspoon of lemon juice into the jam and brush the top of the cake with it. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios and let the cake cool in the pan before transferring it to a plate.