Apricot, Almond and Orange Traybake

Time: 1 hour plus cooling

Serves: 8 - 10 depending on how large you like your slices

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 1 Large orange – zest and juice

• 125g Ready To eat dried apricots, very finely chopped (See Note)

• 200g Salted butter - softened

• 200g Caster sugar

• 3 Large eggs

• 165g Self raising flour

• 90g Ground almonds

• 1 tsp Almond extract or vanilla extract

• Flaked almonds

For the topping

• 100g Icing sugar

• Almond extract

• Reserved orange juice

8” square loose bottom cake tin greased and base lined

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160C Fan/180C conventional

2. Toss the chopped apricots in a little of the flour

3. In a bowl cream together the orange zest, butter and caster sugar.

4. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds and almond extract and beat until everything is just combined.

5. Add two tablespoons of water and stir.

6. Fold in the apricots and any of the flour used for coating.

7. Place mixture in the prepared tin and roughly smooth the top. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

9. Allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. I like to leave the cake a few hours before slicing so that it firms up. If you have time wrap in foil and leave overnight.

10. Cut the cake into 8 or 10 slices then mix the icing sugar with some of the reserved orange juice and ½ tsp almond extract, pipe onto the top of each slice.

11. Keep in an airtight container. Will last 2 – 3 days.

NOTE

If your dried apricots are not ready to eat or just a little tough and dry, chop finely and place in a microwaveable bowl or small saucepan, add the juice of half the orange and heat gently for about a minute. Set aside for the apricots to absorb the liquid and cool.