I’ve had loads of requests for the recipes for the three Apricot cakes I posted a couple of days ago, so here they are. Let me know if there are any questions regarding the recipes.

Apricot Mousse Cake

Serves 8

For the base

60g butter, softened

60g sugar

1 egg yolk

60g plain flour

60g self raising flour

For the filling

1¾ cups tinned, home stewed, or preserved apricots, pureed

5 teaspoons powdered gelatine

200ml hot water

250g cream cheese, softened

½ cup pure icing sugar

juice of 1 lemon

1 x 375ml tin evaporated milk, chilled

For the topping

1¼ cups tinned sweetened stewed apricots, pureed

2 teaspoons powdered gelatine

100ml hot water

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 to 23cm springform cake tin. (In use 23cm generally.)

To make the pastry, whisk the butter and sugar together, then add the egg yolk and whisk again until well combined, then fold in the flours to form a soft dough.

Roll out the pastry to 3 mm thick on a surface that has been lightly dusted with gluten free plain flour. Trim to form a disc to fit the base and press into the bottom of the prepared tin.

Prick pastry several times with a fork. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just cooked through. Cool in the tin.

Place the apricot puree in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water in a separate bowl and whisk to dissolve the gelatine. Mix into the apricot puree, cover with cling wrap and transfer to the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until half set.

Whisk the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice.

Pour the chilled evaporated milk into a large bowl and beat until thick.

Gradually whisk in the apricot puree mixture, then whisk in the cream cheese mixture until combined. Pour over the pastry base in the tin and place in the fridge for 2 hours, or until set.

To make the topping, pour the apricot puree into a bowl. In a separate bowl, sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water and stir briskly to dissolve.

Mix this onto the apricot puree and pour over the set filling. Refrigerate until the topping is set.

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Apricot Crumble Crostada

This recipe is a variation on the Nectarine Crumble Tray Bake from “The Comfort Bake”. Any seasonal fruits can be used in this recipe – from berries to cherries or fruits.

For the filling

900g apricots, stones removed and the flesh cut into 1cm cubes

60g sugar, approximately

3 teaspoons lemon juice

3 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 40ml cold water

For the pastry

125g butter, softened

200g sugar

2 eggs

300g plain flour

150g self raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the crumble

30g butter, diced

70g self raising, flour

110g brown sugar

Method

To make the filling

Place the prepared apricots, sugar and water into a saucepan with the water, bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the fruit is just tender. Stir in the lemon juice.

While still simmering, stir in the cornflour paste to thicken. The mixture should be a thick custard consistency. Occasionally more cornflour paste may be needed to achieve this – simply make up a little more.

Set aside to cool.

To make the pastry

Whisk the butter and sugar together, then whisk in the eggs. Sift the dry ingredients together and then fold through the egg mixture until well combined. Set aside while waiting for the fruit mixture to cool.

To make the crumble

Place the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (Alternatively, rub the ingredients together with the fingertips until this stage is reached).

Set aside.

To assemble for baking

First preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Grease a tray 20 x 35cm approximately.

Cut one third for the pastry and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the large piece of dough to the size of the tin and fit into place.

Spread the cooled fruit mixture over this.

Roll the remaining pastry out and cut into 8mm strips. Place these in a lattice pattern over the top of the fruit.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture into the spaces between the lattice strips.

Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned. Cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

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Apricot Macaroon Tray Bake

This slice/cake is made in a baking dish, plenty to share around.

For the base

2 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups milk or water

2¾ cups self raising flour

¼ cup custard powder (or plain flour or cornflour)

½ cup vegetable oil

2½ cups sweetened and thickened stewed apricots

Macaroon Topping

4 egg whites

¾ cup sugar

1¼ cups desiccated coconut

To make the base

Grease a baking tin 25cm x 35cm (x 4cm deep). Line base with baking paper and them grease over this. Heat oven to 160 degrees C.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the water or milk, flour, custard powder and oil and then whisk until the mixture forms a smooth batter.

Pour into the prepared tin, smoothing out evenly with a spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes approximately, or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to stand in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. (Invert to right way up again.) Transfer to an ovenproof proof platter when completely cooled.

Cut a recess to within 1cm of edges, to a depth of approximately 8mm to 1cm. (Discard the resulting cake crumbs or save to make rum balls or similar.)

Fill the recess with the prepared apricots.

To make the macaroon topping, beat the egg white with an electric beater until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in the sugar until soft peaks form again.

Fold in the coconut.

Dollop the mixture over the apricot layer, then spread out to cover the apricots completely (a knife dipped in hot water is helpful here).

Return the cake to the oven and bake at 140 degrees C for approximately 20 minutes until the macaroon mixture is set.

Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting into squares to serve