Canned apricot, ricotta and thyme cake

Canned apricot, ricotta and thyme cake

Brrr, it’s freezing! So, here’s a touch of summer in the form of a cake to brighten your day. With fresh apricots obviously out of season, I turned to a good old can of apricots hidden in the pantry and found inspiration: an apricot, ricotta, and thyme cake. I first baked this cake in the country, hence the canned apricots - a sign of a well stocked country pantry!

Serves 8

  • Ingredients

    150g butter, room temp
    1 cup caster sugar
    3 eggs
    1 cup ricotta, the full-fat wobbly kind
    1/4 cup Greek yoghurt
    1 tsp vanilla
    Zest of 1 lemon
    1 cup plain flour
    1 tsp baking powder
    1 can whole apricots (about 10 halves)
    2 tbsp brown sugar
    1/2 cup juice from apricot can
    Thyme leaves (optional but pretty)

  • Method

    Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with a removable base.

    In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides. Add ricotta, yoghurt, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix well. Fold through the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth out the top. Arrange apricot pieces, cut side up, over the top and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes.

    Meanwhile, bring the syrup from the can to a boil with a few sprigs of thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly syrupy.

    As soon as the cake is ready, pour over the syrup and leave to cool for about 30 minutes. Slice and serve with thick cream.

    Enjoy!