High Altitude Apricot Almond Cake

Almonds and apricots make a wonderful combination of flavors in this incredibly moist high altitude apricot almond cake. Six thin layers of soft almond poppy seed cake are filled with sweet apricot preserves and almond pastry filling. Then I finished the cake with fluffy apricot almond buttercream, garnished with fresh apricot slices. This beautiful cake is so perfect for summer get-togethers, and is a wonderful celebration of apricot season.

Looking for more recipes like this one? You’ll love these brown butter peach crumb bars, homemade peach apricot jam, and peaches and cream cake.

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Almond Paste vs. Almond Pastry Filling

This recipe for apricot almond cake uses almond pastry filling as a filling between the cake layers. This should not be confused with almond paste, as the two are very different ingredients and are not used interchangeably.

Almond Pastry Filling

• Also Called: Almond Cake and Pastry Filling
• Ingredients: Corn syrup, sugar, water, almonds, evaporated whole milk, modified corn starch, coconut, salt, artificial and natural flavors, vanilla extract, and citric acid.
• Taste and Texture: Almond pastry filling is very sweet, with a thinner jam-like consistency that’s easily spread.
• How to Use: Use it as a filling for cakes, pastries and cookies. A little goes a long way as it is very sweet.

Almond Paste

• Ingredients: Blanched almonds, sugar, water, natural flavor. These are the same ingredients as marzipan, but with less sugar and almost double the amount of almonds. Sometimes almond extract is added.
• Taste and Texture: Coarser and less sweet than marzipan. It has a moist, crumbly, stiff texture that’s not spreadable.
• How to Use: Crumble and sprinkle it over batter, dough or pastry to use as a filling in pies and cakes.

TIP: For best results, be sure your cake ingredients are at room temperature.

Ingredients

Almond Poppy Seed Cake

• Cake Flour. For a lighter, fluffier cake crumb, use cake flour, which has a lower percentage of protein than all-purpose flour.
• Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness, as well as moisture.
• Baking Powder. Leavens the cake, making it rise. Baking powder is also more stable for high altitude baking than baking soda, so I prefer baking powder over baking soda for high altitude cakes.
• Coarse Kosher salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Poppy Seeds. The poppy seeds add a nutty flavor, and pretty speckled appearance.
• Buttermilk. Adds moisture and acidity, for a soft, tender cake crumb.
• Unsalted Butter + Vegetable Oil. A combination of melted butter and vegetable oil gives this cake a wonderful buttery flavor, as well as a very moist and light crumb.
• Eggs + Egg Whites. This recipe uses 2 eggs, plus 2 extra whites, so you can save the 2 leftover egg yolks for another recipe. The eggs add protein, richness and structure, while the extra whites keep it light and fluffy.
• Almond Extract + Vanilla Extract. Use good-quality almond extract and vanilla extract for the best flavor in this cake.

Apricot Almond Filling & Buttercream

• Almond Pastry Filling. You’ll be spreading almond pastry filling in between the cake layers.
• Apricot Preserves. Sweet apricot preserves make a delicious cake filling, as well as flavor the buttercream.
• Unsalted Butter. Adds fat, richness and flavor to the buttercream.
• Powdered Sugar. Thickens and sweetens the buttercream.
• Meringue Powder. Adds stability and improves the texture.
• Vanilla + Almond Extracts. Flavor.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Fresh Apricots. For garnish.

Instructions

Make the cake batter and bake.

• Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the poppy seeds.
• Separately, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, eggs, egg whites, almond extract and vanilla extract.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk until combined and smooth, about 10-15 seconds. Divide the batter evenly between the greased pans.
• Bake the cakes on the center oven rack until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 25-30 minutes.
• Set the pans on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.

Split and fill the cake layers.

• Remove the cooled cakes from the pans, and use a sharp knife to carefully split the cakes so you have six thin layers.
• Measure out 1/2 cup of the apricot preserves and set aside to reserve for the buttercream.
• Place one layer of cake on a cake board.  Spread evenly with 1/3 of the remaining apricot preserves.  Stack the second layer of cake on top, and spread with 1/2 of the almond pastry filling.  Repeat with the third layer of cake, 1/3 of the apricot preserves, the fourth layer of cake, 1/2 of the almond pastry filling, the fifth layer of cake, 1/3 of the apricot preserves, and then the last layer of cake.  In total, you will have six layers of cake, alternately filled with 3 layers of apricot preserves and 2 layers of almond pastry filling.

Make the buttercream.

• Use a small food processor to puree the reserved 1/2 cup of apricot preserves.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the preserves and butter until smooth.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and meringue powder, mixing to combine.  Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the salt.  On medium speed, whip for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy.

Frost the cake.

• Frost the cake with a thin crumb coat of buttercream to seal the crumbs and fillings in, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.  After chilling the crumb coat, frost the cake with the final coat of buttercream.
• If you like, tint some of the buttercream with a few drops of orange and yellow gel food coloring for an apricot color.  Swirl the tinted buttercream on top and around the sides of the cake for a pretty watercolor effect.
• Garnish with fresh apricot slices.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use almond paste instead of almond pastry filling?

No, the two ingredients are very different and are not interchangeable. Almond pastry filling is very sweet and easily spread between the cake layers.

What if I don’t have 8-inch cake pans?

You can use 9-inch cake pans if that’s what you have, but your finished cake will be shorter. I bake the almond cake batter in three 8-inch cake pans and then split them into 6 layers so that I can add as much of the delicious filling as possible.

Can I cut this recipe in half?

Yes, you can easily halve this almond poppy seed cake recipe, and bake the batter in three 6-inch pans.

What apricot preserves did you use for the cake filling?

I used Bonne Maman Apricot Preserves. The flavor is delicious, and it doesn’t contain any high fructose corn syrup.

Can I add chopped almonds to the cake or buttercream?

You sure can! I would suggest chopping them rather fine, and folding them into your cake batter or buttercream after mixing it. They should add a lovely crunch and nutty almond flavor.

What should I use if I don’t have cake flour?

If you can’t find cake flour at your local grocery store or Walmart, you can also buy cake flour online. In a pinch, you can make your own cake flour. Measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour using the spoon and sweep method. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour, and replace with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

How long will this apricot almond cake stay moist?

If you keep it in an airtight container, it will stay moist for days and days.

How should I store the leftover cake?

Store leftover vanilla cake in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.

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