Easy Apricot Cake

This Apricot Cake features a creamy apricot filling and is topped with fresh apricots and slivered almonds. Perfect with your morning cup of coffee or as dessert!

Creating This Apricot Cake Recipe

I’ve been meaning to blog about this recipe for some time now, but it’s hard to do that when you make things up as you go, write it on a scrap piece of paper and then lose the paper. I finally found it today, and it was right where I should have remembered that it would be — my kitchen utensil draw.

A little over a month ago I had an abundance of apricots — Madeline asked for them at Costco, enjoyed them, and quickly tired of them. It gave me lots of opportunities to create some new recipes from a fruit I often overlook.

This apricot almond cake recipe is another that I created during that week.

Apricot Cake Ingredients

Depending on how sweet you want the apricot cake to be, you can omit the filling if desired. Here’s what you’ll need to make the cake itself:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Salt
• Granulated sugar
• Butter
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Milk
• Fresh apricots
• Orange zest
• Slivered almonds
• Ground nutmeg

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Apricot Cake

Below is just an overview of how I made the apricot cake recipe.

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until combined and creamy. 
3. Stir in the extracts. 
4. Beat in half of the sour cream followed by half of the flour mixture. Repeat. 
5. Stir in the milk, zest, and chopped fresh apricots.
6. Grease an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Pour batter in pan.
7. Sprinkle the top with almonds, nutmeg and sugar. Arrange sliced apricots on top. 
8. Bake until set. 
9. If desired, slice in half once cool and add the apricot cake filling.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?

Yes, you can bake the cake itself in advance and keep on your counter until you’re ready to add the filling and serve.

Can This Cake Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze this apricot cake without the filling. It will last up to three months in a freezer bag.

Tips for Making an Apricot Cake

• I created this recipe with dessert in mind, so I sliced the cake horizontally and added a yummy mascarpone buttery apricot cake filling, but you could easily omit that step and serve this delicious cake for a brunch or breakfast with more of a coffee cake feel to it.
• I used fresh apricots in this recipe, but I imagine fresh peaches, plums, or another stone fruit would work just as well!
• If you have a nut allergy, feel free to omit the slivered almonds and the almond extract.

More Easy Summer Desserts:

This Apricot Thyme Galette looks elegant, but is incredibly easy to make.

This Peach and Mixed Berry Cobbler is topped with homemade sour cream biscuits. This is the ultimate end of summer dessert! 

We love making Grilled Peaches when we’re craving dessert but don’t want to bake anything.

This Peach Cake is the perfect summertime dessert if those warm months have you craving fresh, juicy, sweet peaches. 

This beautiful and colorful Fresh Strawberry Galette with Almond Crust emphasizes the sweet juiciness of the strawberries without much added sugar. Strawberry Galette is the perfect spring and summer dessert!

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