-CAKE BATTER-
1/2 c Unsalted butter; softened
3/4 c Sugar
1 Egg
3 Egg yolks
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 1/4 c All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking powder
12 md Apricots
CRUMB TOPPING
1 1/4 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Sugar
1/4 ts Cinnamon
1/2 c Unsalted butter; melted
Use this recipe with peaches, sour cherries or pineapple with equally
good results.
CAKE BATTER: PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350F. Butter a 10-inch round, 2-inch
deep cake pan and line the bottom with a disk of parchment or wax
paper. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until soft
and light. Add the egg and continue beating until light. Add the
yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the
vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the
batter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Rinse and halve
the apricots. Remove the pits with the bowl of a small spoon if they
resist. Arrange the apricot halves cut-side up on the batter in
concentric rows, overlapping slightly, leaving a margin of about
1-inch around the edge. Don’t be concerned if the apricots mound
slightly in the center of the cake; the top will even out as the cake
bakes.
CRUMB TOPPING: FOR THE CRUMBS, mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a
bowl. Melt the butter and stir it in evenly. Rub the mixture to
coarse crumbs by hand. Scatter the crumbs over the apricots and the
edge of the batter as evenly as possible. Bake the cake 1 hour until
a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the
pan for about 15 minutes and invert a plate on it. Invert onto the
plate and lift off the pan. Peel off the paper and invert a rack on
the cake. Invert cake onto the rack, remove the plate and cool.
Yields
8 Servings