Apricot and Pistachio Olive-Oil Cake
We love the combination of apricot and pistachio, and this easy-to-put-together cake, adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking with Dorie, gets deliciously tangy moistness from Greek yogurt in the batter. Dried apricots and chopped pistachios also go in, and then apricot preserves are spread between the baked layers and on top, making a nice sticky surface for lots of chopped pistachios on top.
Greenspan offers a few choices in the recipe: tea leaves or saffron in the batter, salted or unsalted pistachios, orange or tangerine zest, stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or hand mixer. We can never resist saffron, so chose that; it certainly sang in this beauty. If you want to try it with tea leaves, substitute 1 tablespoon of finely chopped leaves for it. We tested the recipe using orange zest, unsalted pistachios and a hand mixer.
For the batter, Greenspan’s original recipe calls for “6 large, soft, plump” dried apricots, or 75 g. We love the bright and deeply flavored dried Blenheim apricots we find at Trader Joe’s; to get 75 g we counted 19 of those. Since clearly the size of dried apricots varies quite a bit, we’re sticking with the weight.
Wrapped well, the cake will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/3 cups (166 g) sugar
Pinch of saffron
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons; 4 ounces; 113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup (180 ml) plain Greek yogurt (not cold)
6 tablespoons olive oil
75 g. (2.65 oz) dried apricots (between 6 and 20, depending on the size), cut into small cubes
1/2 cup (70 g) shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
For finishing
2/3 cup (160 ml) apricot preserves
About 1/2 cup (70 g) shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
Instructions
1. Center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, one with 2-inch-high sides, and dust with flour. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt togehter.
2. Put the sugar in a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Add the saffron and use your fingers to rub it into the sugar. Add the grated orange zest, and continue to rub the ingredients together until the sugar is fragrant and moist from the zest.
3. With the mixer on medium, one at a time add the eggs, beating for a minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the melted butter. Add the yogurt and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the flour in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated and scraping the bowl with a flexible spatula as necessary. With the mixer still on low, blend in the olive oil, then add the apricots and pistachios. Give the batter a few last turns by hand with the spatula to finish mixing everything together. Scrape the batter into the pan and level the top.
4. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until the cake is golden and is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan; a tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and wait for 5 minutes, then run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, if needed. Unmold it onto the rack, turn right side up, and let it cool to room temperature.
5. To finish the cake, split it horizontally in half. Place the bottom layer cut-side-up on a serving platter.
6. Put the jam in a microwave-safe container, stir in a tablespoon of water and bring it to a boil in the microwave (or do this on the stovetop, if you prefer). Spread half the jam over the bottom cake layer. Cut-side-down, place the second layer on top. Brush the top of the cake with the rest of the jam, and then sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top and press them lightly into the jam. You can serve the cake now or allow it to stand uncovered until the jam sets.
If you like this recipe, you may like:
RECIPE: Camille Fourmont’s Rose, Cumin and Apricot Sablés
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RECIPE: Apple Calvados Cake
RECIPE: Cardamom-Scented Milk Custard with Apricot Gelée and Pistachios
“Cookbooks We Love: Dorie Greenspan makes us all better bakers with ‘Baking with Dorie’”
Apricot and Pistachio Olive-Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/3 cups (166 g) sugar
- Pinch of saffron
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons; 4 ounces; 113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup (180 ml) plain Greek yogurt (not cold)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 75 g. (2.65 oz) dried apricots (between 6 and 20, depending on the size), cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup (70 g) shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) apricot preserves
- About 1/2 cup (70 g) shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, one with 2-inch-high sides, and dust with flour. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt togehter.
- Put the sugar in a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Add the saffron and use your fingers to rub it into the sugar. Add the grated orange zest, and continue to rub the ingredients together until the sugar is fragrant and moist from the zest.
- With the mixer on medium, one at a time add the eggs, beating for a minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the melted butter. Add the yogurt and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the flour in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated and scraping the bowl with a flexible spatula as necessary. With the mixer still on low, blend in the olive oil, then add the apricots and pistachios. Give the batter a few last turns by hand with the spatula to finish mixing everything together. Scrape the batter into the pan and level the top.
- Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until the cake is golden and is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan; a tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and wait for 5 minutes, then run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, if needed. Unmold it onto the rack, turn right side up, and let it cool to room temperature.
- To finish the cake, split it horizontally in half. Place the bottom layer cut-side-up on a serving platter.
- Put the jam in a microwave-safe container, stir in a tablespoon of water and bring it to a boil in the microwave (or do this on the stovetop, if you prefer). Spread half the jam over the bottom cake layer. Cut-side-down, place the second layer on top. Brush the top of the cake with the rest of the jam, and then sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top and press them lightly into the jam. You can serve the cake now or allow it to stand uncovered until the jam sets.
