Apricots take the place of apples in this recipe for upside down cake
Ingredients
Before you start...
You will need an ice cream machine to make the ice cream in this recipe.
For the apricot and honey schmear:
- 115 g4 oz unsalted butter
- 2½ tbsp clear honey
- 100 g3½ oz light brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 12 whole fresh apricots, ripened
For the upside down cake:
- 150 g5¼ oz shelled raw pistachios
- 150 g5¼ oz plain white flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fresh nutmeg
- 125 ml4½ fl oz whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 215 g7½ oz unsalted butter at room temperature
- 100 g3½ oz caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
For the ice cream:
- 2 vanilla pods
- 500 ml17½ fl oz semi-skimmed milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 250 g8¾ oz caster sugar
- 500 g17¾ oz mascarpone cheese
Method: How to make Apricot and pistachio upside down cake
For the apricot and honey schmear:
In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix together for around 5 minutes until well blended.
Smear about 120g of the mixture over the bottom of a 23cm cake tin.
Stone the apricots and cut into slices. Arrange the slices on top of the schmear.
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until very finely ground then add the flour, baking powder and nutmeg and blitz for a few seconds longer.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and begin adding the eggs one at a time. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Transfer the mixture into a large food processor and add the flour mix in 2-3 stages, alternating with the milk mixture, at a very low speed.
Spread the batter over the apricots in the tin.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. To test whether the cake is ready, insert a metal skewer into the centre of the cake; if the skewer comes out without any cake residue, the cake is cooked through.
Allow the cake to cool for around 15 minutes then turn it out, flipping it upside down so the apricots become the topping on the cake.
For the ice cream:
Split the vanilla pods down the middle and scrape out the seeds.
Put the milk into a saucepan with the vanilla seeds and the pods. Heat on a low heat until almost boiling.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale yellow and creamy. Whilst whisking, gradually add the hot milk.
Return the mixture to a saucepan and cook gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Be careful not to overheat the milk as the eggs will scramble and become unfit for your ice cream.
Strain the ice cream mixture and leave it to cool.
Once cooled, whisk in the mascarpone until well combined. Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and churn it until it thickens substantially.
Remove from the machine and place the ice cream in the freezer until you are ready to serve.
