Apricot Streusel Cake & Vanilla Pouring Custard

This Saturday I finally opened the farmers market season and went to one in a nearby town called Southwell. I really love days like this, walking around the stalls, seeing what seasonal fruit and vegetables start appearing, getting inspired for new recipes, buying flowers and then sitting down somewhere afterwards for coffee and a pastry. We also got really lucky with the weather, which honestly made the whole day even better.

And this time there were the most beautiful red-orange apricots at one of the stalls, so obviously I came home with way too many of them. Which then turned into this apricot crumb cake situation the next morning — moist vanilla cake, juicy baked apricots and lots of buttery streusel on top.

Honestly, I think stone fruits work SO well in cakes like this. Apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines — once they bake, they become soft, jammy and slightly tart, and that contrast with buttery cake and crisp streusel is just ridiculously good. Especially when the fruit starts bubbling into the batter a little around the edges while baking. It’s one of my favourite textures in desserts.

And because lately I’ve fully embraced the British habit of pouring custard over absolutely everything, I also made a vanilla custard to serve with it. Honestly… SUCH a good combination. Warm cake, tart apricots, crunchy streusel and cold vanilla custard melting into everything. Exactly the kind of dessert I want to eat all summer long!

So let’s get into it🧡

Streusel Topping

110 g plain flour

50 g brown sugar

50 g white sugar

90 g cold unsalted butter

pinch of salt

Apricot Cake

260 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

115 g unsalted butter, softened

170 g sugar

2 large eggs or 3 small

130 ml buttermilk or yogurt (full fat, no sugar)

vanilla

450–500 g apricots

2–3 tbsp sugar

1½ tbsp corn starch

Method

1. Start with the streusel. Combine the flour, both sugars and cold butter in a bowl. Rub everything together with your hands until you get a chunky crumb texture. Place into the fridge while preparing the cake batter.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23 cm baking tin with a removable bottom.

3. Slice the apricots and combine them with the sugar and corn starch.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for around 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed after each addition until fully incorporated.

7. Add part of the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix again. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Mix only until the batter becomes smooth, don’t overmix.

8. Spread the batter into the prepared tin. Arrange the apricots on top, then generously sprinkle everything with the chilled streusel.

9. Bake for 60-80 minutes depending on your oven. The top should be deeply golden and the centre should come out clean when tested with a skewer.

Pouring Vanilla Custard

2 big egg yolks

150 ml double cream

300–350 ml milk

70 g sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

1,5 tsp vanilla paste

Method

1. In a saucepan, heat the milk, cream and vanilla until steaming but not boiling.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and corn starch until smooth.

3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Return everything back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and silky.

4. Serve warm or cold over the cake.

Enjoy!🧡

See ya,

xx