Stone fruit season is perhaps my favorite fruit season of the year. The various colors, fragrance and textures of peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines truly bring joy to me when I step into my local farmers market. The sugary fruits make perfect desserts after an evening al fresco meal.
Today I am sharing an Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake with a Rose Whipped Cream. This easy cake is super light and moist, filled with in-season apricots, floral notes of cardamom and ground pistachios for that nutty flavor.
My first taste of apricots!
Growing up in Mumbai, I had never tried apricots. The Mumbai weather is not conducive to growing apricots. I probably tasted my first apricot about 15 years ago when I first visited a farmers market in the Bay Area. The first bite into an apricot revealed its tartness and sweetness. I was intrigued by apricot jams – a flavor that I had never tried in my entire life!
So I made my first apricot and rosemary jam – a wonderful combination that I came up with and grew to love – the perfect accompaniment on a charcuterie board with some crackers and soft goat cheese. Apricot jams became my go-to as gifts during the holidays. You can find the Apricot and Saffron Jam which is a personal favorite in my cookbook Mumbai Modern.
Different kinds of Apricots in California
Apricots come in various varieties in California. The most common ones that we get at the grocery store or the farmers markets are the Blenheim, that are the freestone variety – meaning the flesh is not attached to the pit. They have a bright orange flesh, and orange with sunset hues on the outer skin. Apricot season is short lived – from the end of May to the middle of July.
Ingredients of the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake
The ingredients of the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake are:
- All purpose flour
- Raw pistachios, finely ground : Pistachios add a beautiful nutty taste and slight color tinge to the cake batter. Pistachios do not need to be toasted. However they must be finely ground in a high speed blender.
- Baking powder and baking soda : help the cake rise so that it is not dense.
- Ground cardamom : I prefer freshly ground cardamom. You can use a mortar pestle to grind the cardamom.
- Salt : Salt is used to balance out the sweetness in the cake.
- Unsalted butter : Butter should be unsalted and at room temperature and the salt is controlled by adding it separately.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Whole milk ricotta : I use the Galbani brand of the ricotta.
- Vanilla extract
- Ripe apricots : apricots should be just ripe, and not overripe. You do not want the cake to be mushy.
- Turbinado sugar : Adds a nice crunch on the top of the cake. The turbinado brand that I use is linked here.
How to choose apricots for the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake?
This Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake comes together fairly quickly. When choosing apricots, be sure they are slightly ripe yet crisp (not overly ripe). That will ensure that they are sweet but have a bite.
How to make the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake?
Start by preparing the dry mix. This includes finely ground raw pistachios, which give the batter a lovely nutty flavor, along with freshly ground cardamom, which gives a floral and sweet touch to the batter. The pistachio flavor is really the star of this cake.
The wet ingredients start off with creaming unsalted and room-temperature butter with granulated sugar – a very important step in the baking process.
TIP: Creaming the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes leads to a light and fluffy cake. Whole milk ricotta makes the cake moist and melt-in-your-mouth delicious with every bite.
After mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, apricot bits are added to the batter. Once the batter is poured and leveled into a prepared springform pan, adorn the top of the batter with the apricot halves. Turbinado sugar on the top is essential for caramelizing the top of the cake while baking.
Important TIP once the cake is out of the oven
Once the cake is out of the oven, brush the apricot halves with apricot jam. It provides a lovely glistening effect to the apricots. The cake needs to be completely cooled before it can be cut.
Serving the cake with Rose Whipped Cream
I serve it with Rose Whipped Cream and garnish with chopped pistachios. Rose whipped cream makes for a perfect combination with the apricots and the cardamom. You can make just plain vanilla whipped cream – which will be just as good with this tea cake.
How to serve the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake
My favorite way to have this tea cake is with some good herbal tea or a latte.
What kind of springform cake pan do you use?
Here is the 9-inch springform cake pan that I use for this recipe.
What kind of turbinado sugar do you use?
The turbinado brand that I use is linked here.
What ricotta cheese do you use?
I use the Galbani brand of ricotta.
What kind or rose water do you use for the Rose Whipped Cream?
I have been using this rose water for many years now. It is so potent that a little bit goes a long way. It is truly my favorite one and the only that I use.
How long will this cake last?
The cake will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but it is best eaten the day of.
Other summer cake recipes that are on my blog are:
If you do make this recipe, please do not forget to tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Apricot, Cardamom and Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup raw pistachios, finely ground
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (170 grams), at room temperature
- 1 cup(200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta
- ⅔ cup just ripe apricots (about 2 apricots), cut into tiny cubes, plus 6 small apricots, cut into half vertically and pitted
- 1–2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons apricot jam
- Powdered sugar
Rose Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup (170 grams) cold heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- 2–3 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, ground pistachios, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and the sugar. Starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed to high, cream the mixture, until the color is a pale yellow and the butter looks fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Using a rubber spatula, clean the sides of the bowl to bring the mixture to the center.
- Add vanilla extract, eggs and ricotta, and mix to combine. The mixture should look homogenous.
- Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing after each addition, until just combined.
- Fold in the apricot pieces with a rubber spatula, until well distributed.
- Add the batter to the pan. Spread with a small offset spatula to make the top even.
- Layer the apricot halves in a concentric circle, equidistant from each other. You may need to add 3-4 halves in the center as well.
- Distribute the turbinado sugar evenly on top of the cake.
- Bake for about 1 hour, or until the cake is light brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Remove the outer ring of the springform pan.
- Place on a serving plate. Brush the cake, especially the apricot halves, with the apricot jam. Garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Rose Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and rose water.
- Whisk at high for about 1 minute, until it forms soft peaks. Do not over whip, or else the whipped cream will not be smooth.
To Serve
- Serve the cake with the Rose Whipped Cream and finely chopped pistachios on the top.
Note: The cake will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but it is best eaten the day of.
Notes
How to choose apricots for the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake?
- This Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake comes together fairly quickly. When choosing apricots, be sure they are slightly ripe yet crisp (not overly ripe). That will ensure that they are sweet but have a bite.
How to serve the Apricot Cardamom and Pistachio Cake
- My favorite way to have this tea cake is with some good herbal tea or a latte.
What kind of springform cake pan do you use?
- Here is the 9-inch springform cake pan that I use for this recipe.
What kind of turbinado sugar do you use?
- The turbinado brand that I use is linked here.
What ricotta cheese do you use?
- I use the Galbani brand of ricotta.
What kind or rose water do you use for the Rose Whipped Cream?
- I have been using this rose water for many years now. It is so potent that a little bit goes a long way. It is truly my favorite one and the only that I use.
How long will this cake last?
- The cake will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but it is best eaten the day of.
