Almond cake with homemade jam

Making homemade jam is within everyone's reach. Those of you who have already made it know this well, and those who haven't tried it yet, I definitely encourage you to do so, because there is no jam more delicious than the one you make yourself with the fruit you love most! You'll be surprised how easy it is to make.

Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes, has absolutely nailed this recipe that we invite you to try today: an easy and delicious almond cake, which pairs perfectly with homemade apricot jam.

The first time I saw the De Buyer copper saucepan I knew a lovely story awaited us together. And I wasn't wrong: as soon as I held it in my hands, I could tell it was an exceptional piece, not only because of the unquestionable quality of its materials and the impeccable craftsmanship, but also because of its aesthetics, with lines as tasteful as they are exquisite.

Its exterior copper coating ensures fast and even cooking, providing exceptional heat transmission, while the stainless steel interior makes cleaning and maintenance easy. In short, a model of virtues that's practically impossible not to succumb to.

I had to christen it by using it in a way that matched what it would give us in return. This is how this apricot and vanilla jam came to be. Summer fruit is simply spectacular, but like all good things, it doesn't last long; the apricot season is starting to come to an end, but I resisted letting them slip away so easily. And what better way than to turn them into a truly special jam so we can enjoy them during the other seasons?

As an excuse to enjoy it right away, I thought it would also be nice to make this almond cake. It is a true classic —always foolproof—, a pound cake with a subtle almond touch that, in my opinion, turns a delight into an absolute delicacy. Unable to decide, I ended up combining jam and cake in two different ways, both very simple. The first, the easiest, was to spread the jam directly over the cake and that's it. The second, with just one extra step, resulted in a very simple 'naked cake': you only need to slice the cake in half horizontally with a cake wire or a long serrated knife, fill with a generous layer of jam and dust the top with a little powdered sugar. Don't forget some fresh fruit for decoration; it never fails.

INGREDIENTS (for 8-10 servings)

(All ingredients should be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated)

For the almond cake:

• 150 g unsalted butter
• 150 g white sugar
• 3 eggs (L)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 150 g all-purpose wheat flour
• 35 g almonds, finely ground
• 8 g (1½ teaspoons) baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the apricot and vanilla jam:

• 500 g apricots
• 375 g white sugar
• 1 good-quality vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

METHOD

Making the almond cake:
1. Preheat the (electric) oven to 180ºC and place the oven rack in the center position.
2. Grease, line with baking paper and grease again the inside of a 20 cm Ø non-stick round springform pan, like this one from Le Creuset. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the ground almonds and mix with a whisk until everything is well combined.
4. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar vigorously until you get a fluffy, smooth texture and a visibly paler color (about 4 to 5 minutes).
5. Next, add the eggs one at a time, lightly beaten beforehand, while mixing more gently. Do not add the next egg until the previous one is fully incorporated.
6. Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
7. Then fold in the dry ingredients reserved earlier (step 3) in two additions, mixing gently after each addition just enough to combine everything.
8. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small spatula.
9. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with crumbs; if not, check every couple of minutes until it does.
10. Once the cake is properly baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. After that time, unmold and let it cool completely on the rack. It keeps at room temperature well covered for 3-4 days in a cool, dry place.


Making the apricot and vanilla jam:

To make the jam on the stove:

1. Wash the apricots, pit them and cut them into quarters. Then place them along with the lemon juice in a saucepan with enough capacity to ensure even heat distribution (the De Buyer copper one exceeded expectations by far), and set it over medium-high heat so the fruit softens and begins to release its juices, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
2. Next, add the sugar and the vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and bring everything to a boil, stirring frequently with the wooden spoon. Once it boils, reduce to medium-low heat and continue cooking for at least another 15-20 minutes, stirring often (skimming is not necessary). The mixture will thicken as the water evaporates. You can extend this time slightly if it still seems too liquid, keeping in mind it will thicken further as it cools.

de Buyer copper saucepan

3. Once the jam is ready, remove the vanilla bean and let it cool before using (or store in glass jars until use)*.

WARNING: When cooking with sugar at such a high temperature, extreme caution is necessary because it can cause burns. So always use the necessary equipment: oven mitts, apron, long-handled utensils, etc.

To make the jam in a bread maker:

If you have a bread maker, making jam is as easy as adding the ingredients (chopped apricots, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla bean) and selecting "Program 14": this is the special jam program available on the Moulinex bread maker.

The bread maker provides the necessary heat and stirs, so without doing anything you'll have the jam ready when the program finishes, after about 40 minutes.

Assembling the cake:

As I mentioned in the introduction, today I offer you two options for finishing the cake:

- One option is to slice the cake in half horizontally with a cake wire or a long serrated knife, and fill with a generous layer of jam to obtain a filled naked-style cake, which is always a guaranteed success.

- The other option is no more complicated than spreading the jam directly over the cake: easy, quick and equally delicious!

NOTES

- If you want a smoother jam, once it's done you can blend it with a hand blender and/or pass it through a chinois or food mill to remove the fruit skins. I left it as is.
- As you can see, it's very easy to make your own homemade jam and give it the personal touch you like most; instead of vanilla, you could choose to add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, for example.
- Since you're at it, you may think it's a good idea to make a little extra jam to have reserves for winter. So don't hesitate to double the quantities and make more for breakfast toast, desserts, etc. I made a bit more than this cake requires because at home we love having homemade jam reserves whenever possible, but how much is left over will depend on how much you use and how you ultimately use it.
- *If you make extra jam for other uses, it's helpful to know that the best way to preserve your homemade jam is to vacuum-seal it in sterilized glass jars. While the fruit is cooking, we can sterilize them (as well as their lids) by placing them in a Shallow Casserole with boiling water for about 30-40 minutes. To prevent them from breaking, we'll place a small towel or a dishcloth between them in the water so they don't knock against each other and crack. Vacuum-sealing is very simple: once the jars are filled with the jam while still hot, close them tightly and let them cool completely upside down (you can also process them in a water bath, tightly closed and with the water up to the jar's neck for about 30 minutes more). Once opened, keep the jam refrigerated.

Have a great week!
Rosa