Name: 🍑 Almond Apricot Cake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 150 g caster sugar; zest of 1 lemon; 3 large eggs; 85 ml extra virgin olive oil; 60 ml natural yoghurt (or Greek yoghurt, but always full fat); 100 g plain flour (all-purpose flour); 165 g ground almonds*; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 5 fresh apricots; 1 handful sliced almonds; 1 teaspoon icing sugar (powdered sugar)

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The best way to use up a punnet of apricots? This light, summery cake that’s packed with almonds and topped with jammy, ambrosial apricot slices. It’s the kind of bake that feels like a little luxury, and never lasts long. That’s right — it’s almond apricot cake!

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how stunning this cake is?!

No fuss, no icing, no fancy embellishments. Almond apricot cake is rustic and homely, but oh-so-elegant — exactly the kind of bake you’d find in a quaint little bakery off the beaten path in Provence, Southern France.

But it’s not all about the looks. The delightful almond flavour (which is built entirely from ground almonds, without any dubious artificial additives) brings a divinely nutty richness. Olive oil and yoghurt combine to make the cake light, crumbly, and yet still moist, with a beautifully complex undercurrent.

And the apricots? They’re the pièce de résistance. Artfully sliced on top of the cake, they soften and caramelise slightly in the oven, bringing a lovely brightness to every bite. Tart, floral, and honey-sweet, they taste like the summer in the orchards of the Baronnies Provençales.

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you — my almond-based bakes are some of my most popular and personally most beloved (looking at you, blackberry almond cake!), and this one is no different.

I can’t wait for you to savour this cake, whether as a casual afternoon snack or a dinner party dessert!

😍 Reasons To Make This Almond and Apricot Cake

Unreal flavours with seasonal ingredients. That’s the real draw of this cake. When you’ve got the best of summers ingredients, there’s no need for any distractions.
Not too sweet. This bake isn’t layered up with tonnes of icing/frosting. It’s sweet — but not overpoweringly so. It’s perfect for afternoon tea or brunch, and has all the joy of dessert without the saccharinity.
An EASY bake. Baking doesn’t need to be complex. This recipe has no overwrought techniques or confusing specialist terms. You’ll need to whip some egg whites, but that’s about the extent of it. You don’t need to be an expert to bake a phenomenal cake … even beginner bakers will do a stellar job with NO stress.

Labelled ingredients for almond apricot cake.

🍰 Here Are The Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients. Most are pantry staples that may already be in your cupboards, while others (like ground almonds) are commonly available at most large stores.

Let’s take a look at the star players in this almond apricot cake!

Fresh apricots: For topping our cake! Apricots have honey-sweet and tart notes which are only enhanced by baking. Yum!
Olive oil: For a moist crumb and a fruity flavour that marries with the European flavours of apricot and almond. I use good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Caster sugar: For the perfect balance of sweetness. Caster sugar keeps the crumb light, but you can also use granulated sugar, which is slightly coarser.
Lemon zest: We’ll rub the lemon zest into the sugar to infuse it with a beautiful citrusy touch.
Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature will help to give structure to the cake. You’ll need to separate the whites from the yolk.
Ground almonds: For a distinctively sweet, nutty flavour and a delicate texture.
Plain flour (all purpose flour): Just a little to give the cake lightness and lift. Cakes made from 100% ground almonds can be too dense, so a little flour balances it out, creating a perfect texture.
Yoghurt: Complements the citrusy notes of lemon zest, and, more importantly, adds richness and moisture to our crumb. Use full fat Greek or natural yoghurt.
Flaked almonds: Optional, but really elevates the presentation and gives a lovely crunch on top of the cake.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar): You only need a tiny amount to dust on top once the almond apricot cake is baked.

Ground Almonds vs Almond Flour

What’s the difference between ground almonds and almond flour?

In the U.K., these terms are used interchangeably.

In other parts of the world, ground almonds may be unblanched and much coarser in texture. Sometimes the skins are left on the almonds, so the mixture may be brown in colour.

Almond flour, on the other hand, uses almonds which are nearly always blanched and skinned, resulting in a much paler colour. It’s also ground into a very fine powder.

I’ve used what we call ground almonds in the U.K., but from my ingredient photos, you can see it’s a fine powder made with blanched and skinned almonds — so I recommend picking whichever option best fits that description.

Technically, you can use either ground almonds or almond flour for this apricot almond cake.

You can even make your own ground almonds. A quick blanch (adding the almonds to boiling hot water for a few minutes, then dunking in ice-cold water) will make the nuts really easy to peel. Then just dry them off, and ground to a powder. Easy-as!

Variations and Substitutions

Don’t have fresh apricots or making this recipe out of season? You can use tinned apricots — just drain all excess syrup/juice before using. While you can also use dried apricots, you’ll need to rehydrate them first (in juice or water), and they typically boast a more intensified sweetness than fresh fruits.

Feel like experimenting with other fruits? This recipe tastes tremendous with many other stone fruits, including plums, cherries, peaches, and nectarines. Pears, although not stone fruits, are a stunning pairing with almonds.

Substitute lemon zest for orange zest, which offers a more floral, sweet, and mild flavour. It lacks the sharpness of lemon, but the orange brightens the flavours of almond and apricot in the same manner.

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Almond Apricot Cake (With Step-by-Step Photos)

Although almond apricot cake has a longer baking time, the final result is 100% worth it. Besides, making the cake batter is super straightforward — while the cake is in the oven you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the tempting aromas wafting through your house!

So, without further ado, here’s how to make this lovely almond apricot cake at home, with step-by-step photos:

One: In a large mixing bowl, rub caster sugar and lemon zest together. This brings out the aroma of the lemon zest and infuses it with the sugar.

Sugar, yoghurt, egg yolks, and olive oil in a bowl.

Two: Add the yoghurt, olive oil, and egg yolks to the same bowl.

Three: Whisk the mixture until well combined.

Flour and ground almonds in cake batter.

Four: Add the ground almonds and plain flour (AP flour) to the same bowl.

Five: Use a spatula to carefully fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

Six: In a clean bowl, add egg whites.

Seven: Use an electric whisk or stand mixer to beat the egg whites until they reach firm peaks.

Eight: Add the beaten egg whites into the bowl.

Nine: Gently fold in the beaten egg whites to create a light and fluffy batter.

Ten: Pour your cake batter into a lined 10 inch (25.4cm) cake tin.

Eleven: Halve and remove the stone from the apricots.

Twelve: Evenly slice each half.

Cake batter in tin topped with apricots and almonds.

Thirteen: Top the cake batter with the apricot slices and flaked almonds.

Fourteen: Bake for around 60 minutes at 180°C (365°F), or until a skewer comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are OK). Cool and slice to serve.

Remember, the complete recipe (with ingredient quantities and instructions) can be found at the bottom of this page. You can also print the recipe, save the recipe, adjust the servings, and much more from there!

My Secrets For Success

Choose ripe yet firm apricots for the best results. Too soft, and the fruits will break down too much when cooked, which creates a “soggy” spot in the cake batter.

Use room temperature ingredients (not fridge cold!) to avoid the batter seizing up and causing textural issues. Particularly, make sure your yoghurt and eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.

Bake low and slow. Cakes with a large percentage of almonds — like this almond apricot cake and my blackberry almond cake with mascarpone — tend to be denser than sponge cakes, and hence require more time to bake evenly. It’s crucial not to rush the process, or you’ll likely find your cake is uncooked in the middle.

Test with a skewer or toothpick. It’s not an infallible method, but it is useful! Once your timer goes off, test the centre (the centre always cooks slowest) of the cake with a skewer. The skewer should come out mostly clean — a few moist crumbs are fantastic news, but you shouldn’t be seeing any raw batter. If you do, pop it back in the oven (covered with tinfoil to avoid the top burning, if necessary) for 10-minute increments, until fully cooked.

I know it’s awfully tempting to de-mould and start eating the cake as soon as it’s baked, but be patient! Cool the cake in the tin to let it settle, then carefully remove from the tin and get ready to serve.

Slice of almond apricot cake on a pink side plate.

❄️ Storing Your Almond Apricot Cake

You can store this cake at room temperature for 2-3 days, as long as it’s in an airtight container.

Alternatively, for a slightly longer shelf life, pop it in the fridge (again, in an airtight container or cake box, to avoid other smells penetrating) for up to five days. Bring the cake back to room temperature before serving for the best flavour.

Did you know you can freeze almond apricot cake? Home bakeries often freeze cakes! Wrap individual slices (for easy portion serving) well, store in a container, and freeze for up to three months. Defrost to room temperature before eating.

🫖 Serving Almond Apricot Cake

Despite how beautiful it looks, almond apricot cake is really rustic at heart. It doesn’t need a fancy presentation — just a dusting of icing sugar. I suggest serving a slice with a pot of tea or coffee for breakfast, supper, or an afternoon snack.

Alternatively, plate with a dollop of crème fraîche, mascarpone, or Greek yoghurt on top. Got a sweet tooth? Add a drizzle of honey over the cheese/yoghurt.

Here’s an admission: as soon as I finish devouring this almond apricot cake, I’m already busy planning when I’m going to bake the next one. It’s just that tasty! I suspect you’ll be doing the same … and for that you’ll need the printable recipe, which is just below ⬇

If you tried this almond apricot cake — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the ✍️ comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!