Roasted Apricot Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary

Name: Roasted Apricot Olive Oil Cake (With a Hint of Rosemary)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: ROASTED APRICOTS; 200-225g of ripe apricots (4-6, though I sometimes add in more for leftovers); 70g of granulated sugar; 45g of fresh orange juice (remember to zest first!); 30g of fresh lemon juice (remember to zest first!); 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract; THE CAKE; Zest of 2 oranges; Zest of 2 small/medium lemons (or 1 giant one); 1-2 tablespoons of finely-minced fresh rosemary; 135g of caster or granulated sugar; 2 medium eggs (105g; honestly I use large because that's what I have); 110g of quality olive oil (about 1/2 cup); 75g of plain thick greek yogurt; A splash of almond extract; 75g of semolina, fine; 75g of fine almond flour (or almond meal, in a pinch); Scant teaspoon of baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

So…you ever accidentally eat an entire cake in less than 24 hours? No?? Yeah, me neither…until I made this roasted apricot olive oil cake.

This cake blew my mind. It sounds so innocuous. Plain, even. But the flavors and textures were so perfect, I found myself carving bites off as I made my morning coffee, sneaking back into the kitchen for another bite and a glass of water. Until it was gone.

So clearly I can’t be trusted around this rosemary and roasted apricot olive oil cake. The star here is the intense-yet-mellow flavors, melding tart, jammy roasted apricots with loads of vibrant citrus zest and a hit of herbal notes from fresh rosemary.

Pre-roasting the apricots is a really important step, as it intensifies the fruit’s flavor, drastically improves their texture, and removes some of the water content that would screw with the cake’s structure.

The fruit is roasted with sugar and some orange and lemon juice (I’ve also added a splash of almond extract), and the resulting syrup is both delicate and rich. It gets drizzled on the cake after baking, and the leftovers make a killer cocktail!

In addition to the rosemary, I’ve added some cinnamon and a tiny hit of almond extract to the batter. The former adds some warmth that pairs wonderfully with the other flavors, and to me you can’t have stone fruit without almond extract. They’re a match made in heaven!

My obsession with this cake is weird, honestly, because I’ve been underwhelmed by both olive oil cakes and polenta cakes in the past.

The texture is a bit similar to a polenta cake (a very slight crunch to the outside), and yet it is SO much more moist and flavorful.

I have played around a bit with making a gluten-free version of this as well. I tried swapping polenta for the semolina, and while it *works*, I didn’t love it as much (too much crunch, and I didn’t love the structure of the crumb).

I’d maybe try instead just swapping coarser almond meal or ground oats for the semolina (and keeping the original almond flour). Both give some texture and body, but aren’t actually crunchy. Let me know if you find a gluten-free combo that works great!

To get started, you’ll roast the apricots. Pre-heat oven to 325 F (305 F convection). Cut your apricots in half and remove the stones. I often roast more than the recipe calls for, because they’re delicious as a healthy dessert.

Place apricot halves in a shallow roasting tray and sprinkle the sugar, citrus juices, and almond extract over them. Don’t forget to zest your citrus fruits before you juice them! Mix gently with your hands.

Roast for 15-20 minutes until the apricots are soft. Carefully pour the syrup off and set both the apricots and the syrup aside.

While the apricots are roasting, you can go ahead and make the cake batter, and you’ll keep the oven at the same temp.

Prep an 8-inch round cake tin (I used springform, for ease of removal, but regular is fine too). Spray with non-stick spray and then lay down a round of parchment.

Add your citrus zest and minced rosemary to the sugar and rub between your fingers to release the oils. Add to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.

Next whisk in the oil, yogurt, eggs, and almond extract.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix in well…don’t overmix, you want everything just combined. The batter will be very liquid.

Pour into your lined cake tin and then gently place your roasted apricot halves around the cake. Sometimes I cut some of them into smaller pieces and fill in gaps, sometimes I just use the big ones.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until it is golden and the middle doesn’t really jiggle when shaken.

When it comes out of the oven, prick the top of the cake all over with a toothpick and pour some of the syrup over it (you definitely won’t use all of the syrup). Leave to cool in the pan.

This is amazing by itself, but you can also add some creme fraiche or something creamy if you desire.

You can see how this first cake was underbaked (though no less delicious)…don’t be scared of it getting a bit darker gold in color. I’ve found that it’s best when I leave it in 3-5 minutes longer than my instinct would tell me.

I think it’s even better after sitting overnight, and should keep for around 5 days in something airtight. But I can’t confirm because it’s always gone in under 24 hours in my house 🙂

If you can get your hands on fresh apricots, you need to make this cake POST HASTE. Just don’t blame me if you hoover it in a few hours!

Other delicious snacking cakes you’ll love:

Adapted slightly from Nicola Lamb’s Kitchen Projects

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Roasted Apricot Olive Oil Cake (With a Hint of Rosemary)

Yield: One 8-inch cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

This roasted apricot olive oil cake is such a simple and divine dessert, full of citrus zest and fresh minced rosemary, with a perfect texture. It's the perfect snacking cake, I dare you not to eat it all in one sitting!

Ingredients

ROASTED APRICOTS
200-225g of ripe apricots (4-6, though I sometimes add in more for leftovers)
70g of granulated sugar
45g of fresh orange juice (remember to zest first!)
30g of fresh lemon juice (remember to zest first!)
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
THE CAKE
Zest of 2 oranges
Zest of 2 small/medium lemons (or 1 giant one)
1-2 tablespoons of finely-minced fresh rosemary
135g of caster or granulated sugar
2 medium eggs (105g; honestly I use large because that's what I have)
110g of quality olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
75g of plain thick greek yogurt
A splash of almond extract
75g of semolina, fine
75g of fine almond flour (or almond meal, in a pinch)
Scant teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Instructions

Roast your apricots: Pre-heat oven to 325 F (305 F convection). Cut your apricots in half and remove the stones.
Place apricot halves in a shallow roasting tray and sprinkle the sugar, citrus juices, and almond extract over them. Don’t forget to zest your citrus fruits before you juice them! Mix gently with your hands.
Roast for 15-20 minutes until the apricots are soft. Carefully pour the syrup off and set both the apricots and the syrup aside.
Make the cake: Keep the oven at the same temp. Prep an 8-inch round cake tin (I used springform, for ease of removal, but regular is fine too). Spray with non-stick spray and then lay down a round of parchment.
Add your citrus zest and minced rosemary to the sugar and rub between your fingers to release the oils. Add to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.
Next whisk in the oil, yogurt, eggs, and almond extract.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix in well...don't overmix, you want everything just combined. The batter will be very liquid.
Pour into your lined cake tin and then gently place your roasted apricot halves around the cake. Sometimes I cut some of them into smaller pieces and fill in gaps, sometimes I just use the big ones.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, until it is golden and the middle doesn't really jiggle when shaken.
When it comes out of the oven, prick the top of the cake all over with a toothpick and pour some of the syrup over it (you definitely won't use all of the syrup). Leave to cool in the pan.
Enjoy! It's amazing by itself, but you can also add some creme fraiche or something creamy if you desire. It's even better the next day, and should keep for around 5 days in something airtight (I can't confirm because it's always gone in 24 hours in my house!).

Notes

You can totally swap in other stone fruit if you'd like (you may need to roast it longer, particularly something with a thicker skin like plums or nectarines). But I strongly recommend apricots.
I've played around with how to make a gluten-free version of this as well. I've swapped polenta for the semolina and while it *works*, I didn't love it as much. You could try that, but I'd maybe try instead just swapping almond meal or ground oats for the semolina? Both give some texture and body, but aren't actually crunchy. Let me know if you find a gluten-free combo that works great!
It's easy for the middle to be underbaked and gooey, especially if you have an apricot right in the middle. Don't be scared of the cake getting a bit darker gold in color. I've found that it's best when I leave it in 3-5 minutes longer than my instinct would tell me.