Apricot & Chocolate Chip Cake

Phoebe Thorburn -

This is the perfect recipe for those who appreciate a good cake but find most offerings far too sweet. It's my version of a beloved recipe found in the vintage Women's Weekly Cakes & Biscuits cookbook. The original photo boasts a somewhat burnt looking cake I know I wouldn't have raced to bake. But those who did were rewarded because I know some people for whom it's their go-to cake to this day. Inside is a rubbly apricot and chocolate chip butter cake with a hint of coconut. It's made in one-bowl, requires no icing (icing sugar works perfectly here) and keeps moist for 5 days.

INGREDIENTS

Dry

  • 115g castor sugar
  • 100g bobs 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (I use this copy-cat recipe)
  • 60g chickpea flour / besan
  • 60g rice flour
  • 60g almond meal
  • 40g desiccated coconut
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
  • pinch salt
  • 90g (1/2 cup) non-dairy chocolate chips

Wet

  • 160g apricots, minced / chopped very fine
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • 120g non-dairy yoghurt (I used vanilla coconut yoghurt)
  • 100g non-dairy butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

To Serve: icing sugar

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 160C / 320F. Grease & line a round 24cm / 9ish inch springform cake tin (or similar) and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add the minced apricots, hot water and apricot jam. Stir to combine then set aside to hydrate for 15 minutes (or more).
  3. In another large bowl, add all the Dry ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) and whisk to combine. Press out any lumps with your fingertips or with the back of a spoon, then stir to incorporate.
  4. To the soaked apricot mixture, add the remaining Wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the combined Wet ingredients to the combined Dry ingredients and whisk from the center of the bowl outwards to gradually mix everything together. Don't over mix. Add the chocolate chips & fold through with a spatula.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and smooth over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden-brown, the edges are coming away from the sides of the tin and the center is firm to touch. Let sit in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (very important!). 
  6. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Lasts 5 days.