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Austrian apricot cake

Austrian apricot cake (Marillenkuchen) is a classic summer bake that is hugely popular in Austria. It features a light, airy sponge topped with rows of fresh apricots, making it both simple to prepare and beautiful to serve – every slice gets its own perfect apricot half. This is an old-fashioned recipe that contains no baking powder; instead, the cake rises thanks to carefully whipped egg whites. That makes the folding stage especially important, as gently incorporating the egg whites is the key to a beautifully light texture. Apricot season has just begun, so this is the perfect time to give this traditional recipe a try!

Ingredients for the Austrian apricot cake:

  • 115 g unsalted butter
  • 190 g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 150 g plain flour
  • a pinch of salt
  • 8 apricots
  • icing sugar, for dusting

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Halve the apricots and remove the stones.

Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest and rum (or vanilla extract). Sift the flour directly into the butter mixture, add the salt and gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter with a spatula, taking care not to overmix. The whipped egg whites are the only raising agent in this cake, so preserving as much air as possible is essential.

Line a 24 × 24 cm (9½ × 9½ inch) baking tin with baking paper. Spread the batter evenly into the tin. Arrange the apricot halves on top in neat rows, cut-side up, without pressing them into the batter – the cake will rise around the fruit.

Bake at 165°C for about 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Before serving, dust the Austrian apricot cake generously with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Austrian apricot cake

 

Austrian apricot cake

Recipe source: Half Cup Measure

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