May I offer you a nice cake in these trying times? Okay, so the world does definitely seem on fire at the moment, but let’s look at the bright side. At least stone fruit is in season? Okay so yes, three months of lockdown is getting to me… But in all seriousness, this Vegan Apricot Almond Cake is very summery, very delicious, and a very welcome distraction from all the situations beyond my control right now.
In the past few months I’ve been trying to make more vegan modifications in my diet. I thought vegan baking would be more of a challenge, but it’s honestly been a lot of fun and easier than I thought! I already gravitate towards using non dairy milk, oat milk being a particular favorite. And I’ve started using vegan egg replacements, like flaxseed meal and applesauce, and I’m really pleased with the results!
For this particular recipe, I used a flax egg as an egg replacement. If you don’t have flaxmeal on hand, I imagine applesauce or a mashed banana would also do the trick.
This Vegan Apricot Almond Cake is a really great summery snacking cake. It’s pretty packed with apricots: the batter itself is loaded with chopped fresh apricots, and the top is covered in a layer of apricot slices. The cake also contains almond meal, almond extract, and sliced almonds on top. The tartness of the apricot just works so beautifully with the flavor of almonds! And the course sugar atop helps balance out the tartness of the fruit as well.
Tips
This recipe is fairly straight forward. You shouldn’t need any special equipment. Just mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine to create a fairly thick batter. Fold chopped fresh apricots into the batter, then top it as pictured above. Make sure to test the cake to ensure it bakes thoroughly. I found that the top portion right around the fresh apricots baked the slowest. I baked my cake for 42 minutes, but I think it could have gone a full 45. All ovens are different, so just keep an eye on it!
Related Recipes
Cooking and baking with summer fruit is a real treat, in my opinion. Here are some of my other favorite summer recipes:
These Strawberry Basil Muffins remain one of my favorite things to bake. Mostly because I’m obsessed with basil sugar… This recipe isn’t written to be vegan, but could be modified by using flax eggs!
Speaking of stone fruit, this Grilled Nectarine Caprese Salad is the stuff of legends. Don’t take my word for it though, try it yourself at your next barbecue!
Finally, if you find you have an overabundance of everyone’s favorite invasive species, make this Easy-Peasy Blackberry Compote. Here in the Pacific Northwest, blackberry bushes are everywhere! This compote is my favorite way to enjoy then, especially spooned over pancakes.
Vegan Apricot Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed* flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk I used oat milk
- ¼ cup neutral oil I used canola
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- 3-4 medium apricots about 1 cup chopped, and 1 cup or so sliced
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon course turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8"x 8" baking dish with parchment paper, or spray with baking spray.
- Combine the ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water, and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the flax mixture, non-dairy milk, oil, almond extract, vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup white sugar.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and fold together until no dry spots remain.
- Add about 1 cup of chopped apricots to the batter, and gently fold them in until they're evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish, and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Top with a layer of the sliced apricots, then sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the cake. Finally, sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the cake.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out cleanly.
- Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- You can also use ¼ cup apple sauce instead of the flax egg.
This recipe was easy to follow and turned out perfectly. We loved it!!