Apricot Coffee Cake

First, I cannot take credit for this recipe. I so cannot take credit that I write it below only to translate it into "our" language and with an enormous shout-out to Clotilde Dusoulier, whom you should all know by now is my favorite food blogger. Her recipes are familiar, accessible, and generally nourishing (though who can ever get enough of her scrumptious desserts?). Even in the Maritimes, we can find almost any ingredient for her creative, yet productive meal choices.

This post actually started at Pete's, always a good place for my tongue and body, rarely a good place for my wallet. Can I help it? Pete's has the best selection of "real" food in the region (with exception, of course, to our wonderful farmers market, where I recently discovered a woman who makes Natasha-friendly jam!!!!!). Unfortunately, not enough of their food is local, but very fortunately, they had a wonderful selection of fresh apricots when we went there last week. They were soft (but not mushy), plump (but not bursting), and sweet (but not syrupy). As we sat in our basement with our friends eating them last Friday, they were just what a hot, humid afternoon required.

Then came yesterday, when the apricots were on the edge between perfect and too-good-to-be-true. All I could hear was my lone reader in Moncton, urging me to invent something based on a few good things I thought of in the last few weeks. The last thing she saw me do was carve a ham, so surely I could redeem myself with a good apricot recipe! What about a wholesome muffin? Too boring. What about a crisp? Too sweet. What about a salad? Possibly, particularly since I have a few nice peaces, some pears, and Saskatoons in my fridge. I needed those fruits for something else, though. Apricots are always good with white meat, but I'm on a meat-only-when-necessary kick right now.

Then I found this by Clotilde. Reading that she and her mother made it so many times told me this would satisfy the familiarity factor, but I'd never tried an apricot coffee cake. This was my first coffee cake in a LONG time, since we avoid wheat, but I was pleased that spelt works well. I was also pleased when Clotilde let me know this will freeze, according to her mother's usual practice. Just when I was about to do an apricot variation on her Hazelnut and Nectarine Gratin (with pecans, of course!) or try out her Peach Apricot Compote, I decided, "Why not? It freezes; let's do it!"

The coffee cake never made it to the freezer. I made it this morning before being dropped off at work, and since we had a few minutes, we decided to try it. Even our 17-month-old wanted more! Of course we restrained ourselves, only to save this for tomorrow morning's breakfast, but this is a real keeper. One word to the wise: do use a springform pan, as Clotilde suggests, but be sure not to use a 10" one like I did. It still turns out, but it's a little too thin for my taste. Now, on with our slight variation on the original.

Apricot Coffee Cake (remember, from Clotilde and her mom)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Serves: several

Cake:
8 medium, ripe apricots, washed, quartered, and stones removed
1 3/4 cup spelt flour (we use half light spelt, half stoneground spelt - this makes it a little heavier)
1 tsp baking powder
generous pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter
1 Tbsp almond milk (use original; it's sweet enough on its own)
1/2 cup minus 1 Tbsp cane sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

Topping:
1 Tbsp whipping cream
1 Tbsp cane sugar
1 egg

- Preheat your oven to 350F. Meanwhile, grease the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan (see note above).
- In a food processor, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and butter. DO NOT OVERMIX. Add in the sugar and mix again. DO NOT OVERMIX. Add in the milk and egg, mixing just until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. (Are you getting me? I walked a fine line this morning. Trust me; don't overmix.)
- Pour the thick batter into the pan, using a spatula to remove all batter and to spread it evenly in your pan. Arrange your apricots in a circular pattern on top of the batter. (I love the geometry of this - I'm a nerd.)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for your topping until well blended. Pour the mixture evenly over the batter and apricots. (Honestly, you have no idea how wonderful this is going to be. Trust me.)
- Bake for 35 minutes or until it is golden brown, the apricots tender. Turn off the oven and leave it for another 10-15 minutes. Though we did not do it, Clotilde recommends dusting the top with confectioner's sugar just before serving. (You can serve it at any temperature.)