This apricot cake is as easy as it gets - just whisk everything in one bowl, pour into a cake pan, nestle fresh apricot halves on top, and bake. A soft, buttery cake that's perfectly sweet with a hint of fruity acidity from fresh juicy apricots.
Growing up in Ukraine, we loved making cakes with fresh fruit that taste like summer and they did not even need frosting to impress.
Looking for more easy cakes with fresh fruit? Try my apple sponge cake, strawberry pound cake, simple rhubarb cake, apple cake with crumble topping, or pear cake with chocolate.
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About apricot cake
This apricot cake is a simple summer dessert you can make in one bowl. You do not even need a mixer for this recipe. It is a perfect recipe to use fresh apricots. But if you do not have any on hand, canned canned apricot halves work just fine.
If you love apricots, you may also like my easy chocolate cake with apricot jam.
Apricot season was always magical where I grew up. When we finally would get tired of eating sweetest apricots straight from the tree, we'd rush to make simple cakes like this one.
This cake does not need any frosting or toppings. But if you'd like, you can dust cooled down cake with some powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Please, see the recipe card at the end of this post for the ingredients quantities.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour.
- Eggs: you can use cold or room-temperature eggs.
- Sugar: granulated sugar. Optionally, will will also need a few tablespoons for the top of the cake.
- Unsalted butter: you will need to melt it completely in a microwave and slightly cool it down.
- Sour cream: full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Apricots: fresh ripe apricots.
- Vanilla: for added vanilla flavor. You can also use almond extract instead.
- Baking powder: makes the cake tall.
- Salt: a little bit of salt for balancing the sweetness.
Apricot cake recipe directions
The cake batter comes together very fast, so make sure you grease a 9x9 square cake pan with butter, wash, dry, and halve the apricots, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees f.
Steep 1. In a separate bowl, whisk well eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Step 2. Melt the butter in a microwave and let it cool down for a few minutes. Now, add melted butter and sour cream to the bowl. Whisk it all again until one consistency.
Step 3. In a second mixing bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix everything with the rubber spatula until you have a thick batter. Do not overmix it.
Step 4. Spread the batter evenly in a prepared pan. Arrange apricot halves on top, pressing them gently onto the batter. Sprinkle with a small amount sugar on top.
Step 5. Slide the cake in the preheated oven and bake it for about 40 minutes until the cake looks golden brown and the cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool it for about 5 minutes, slice, and enjoy.
Expert tips and storage
- You can use other stone fruits such as plums, peaches, and nectarines.
- I recommend using the kitchen scale to measure the ingredients, but I have also included the measurements in cups.
- Dust the cooled-down cake with some powdered sugar on top.
- For more apricot flavor, add about ½ cup of chopped apricots to the batter as well.
- To store: cover the cake pan with some plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for about 3-5 days. If you have only a few slices left, it's better to transfer them to the airtight container.
- To freeze: once the cake fully cools down, wrap it tightly in a plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make it in a spring-form pan that is not larger than 7 inches.
Fresh fruit is the recommended to make this cake. If you do not have fresh apricots, you can also use canned apricot halves instead.
More easy dessert recipes with fresh fruit
📖 Recipe
Apricot Cake (Easy Summer Dessert)
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 9x9 cake pan
Ingredients
- 280 grams (2 ⅓ cups) flour
- 3 large eggs
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 114 grams ( 1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled down
- 150 grams (½ cup) sour cream
- 5 large apricots, halved, stones removed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the 9x9 cake pan with butter.
- Microwave the butter until it fully melts in a microwave safe bowl. Set it aside to cool down.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 280 grams flour, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add 3 eggs, 150 grams sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix everything well with a whisk. Add 1 stick of melted butter and 150g sour cream. Whisk it all again until one consistency.
- Add the flour mix to the wet ingredients. Mix it all with the silicone or wooden spatula until the thick batter forms.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and spread it evenly with the spatula. Arrange apricot halves on top, pressing down them gently into the batter. Sprinkle with some sugar on top (optional).
- Bake the apricot cake for about 40 minutes or until the tooth pick comes out clear. Slice and enjoy it warm or cold.
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