High Altitude Apricot Almond Torte

This high altitude apricot almond torte features a tender almond cake with fresh sweet apricots baked into the cake batter. It’s an easy, one layer apricot almond cake recipe that makes a wonderful summer dessert when apricots are in season.

You might also love these apricot almond oat bars, homemade peach and apricot jam, and mini plum lattice pies.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No Mixer Needed. This is an easy recipe that comes together in one bowl with just a whisk.

Enjoy While It’s Warm. I love when a cake can be eaten warm, and you won’t need to let this one cool for long before you can enjoy a piece. It’s great on its own, but also wonderful with whipped cream or ice cream.

Just One Layer. With just one layer, this apricot almond torte isn’t as fussy as a layer cake, but just as delicious. The almond flour adds nuttiness and moisture, the cake is incredibly soft and tender, and the sweet, ripe apricots are just perfect with the moist cake.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

Ingredients

• Butter. To add the most incredible flavor to this cake, don’t skip the step of browning the butter first.
• Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture, as well as creates the caramelized, golden brown edges on the cake.
• Eggs. Gives the cake structure and helps the batter to hold together.
• Vanilla + Almond Extracts. Flavor.
• Whole Milk + Sour Cream. Adds fat and moisture for a moist, tender cake.
• Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cake structure and strength.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the almonds.
• Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the cake rises when it bakes.
• Cardamom. A spice commonly paired with almonds in Scandinavian baked goods, cardamom adds a lovely complementary flavor to the almonds.
• Almond Flour. The almond flour not only adds more almond flavor, but also moisture and a nutty richness that makes this cake just so good. You can also use very finely chopped almonds if you don’t have almond flour. An almond cake with almond flour will have a more dense, nutty texture than a vanilla cake that’s just flavored with almond extract.
• Apricots. You’ll need 3-4 apricots, depending on their size. Mine were a bit larger, so I only used 3. There’s no need to peel them first.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Set a 9-inch round cake pan on a piece of parchment paper, and trace a circle around the pan. Now draw a wide tab on either side. Cut around the template, keeping the tabs attached to the circle. Fit the paper in your pan, and spray the paper and sides of the pan with non-stick baking spray. The tabs will help you to lift the cake out of the pan, so that you don’t need to turn it upside down to remove the cake.

• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.

• In a bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar (1 1/4 cups), eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, milk and sour cream, until combined.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cardamom. Add the almond flour, then whisk until everything is evenly distributed.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking just until moistened.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and arrange the sliced apricots on top of the cake batter. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

• Bake for about 55 minutes, until a cake tester or sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean, or with moist crumbs clinging to it, but no under-cooked batter. Let the cake cool in the pan for about an hour, then remove the cake by lifting it out using the parchment paper tabs.
• Serve the cake warm, or at room temperature. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use an 8 inch pan instead of a 9 inch pan?

I recommend a 9 inch pan. It’s too much batter for an 8 inch cake pan. You could also use a 10 inch cake pan for a thinner apricot almond torte, that will need a few minutes less to bake.

Will this recipe work with other types of stone fruit?

Yes, instead of the apricots, you can use peaches, plums or nectarines.

Can I use berries instead of apricots?

While I haven’t tested it, I think berries would work beautifully, especially blackberries and blueberries. I would not use strawberries, though, which can be too watery and mushy when baked.

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