Deliciously light and sticky with a tang of fruit, yum!
125g caster sugar
75ml water
50g butter
7 or 8 firm fresh apricots, halved and stoned
16 blackcurrants – frozen ones are fine
For the cake
150g butter
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour, sifted
1½ tsp baking powder, sifted
100g ground almonds or ground hazelnuts
125ml full-fat milk
Put the sugar and water into a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring gently from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture turns to caramel – you will be able to tell from the colour and smell, but don’t let it go too far or it will burn – take the pan off the heat and add the butter. Stir once it has melted.
Pour the caramel into a lined 20-23cm tin (a standard cake tin or tightly fitting springform is fine, but loose-bottomed won’t work). Place a blackcurrant in each apricot half then place the apricots on top of the caramel, close together, cut-side down.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition (add a couple of tablespoons of flour if the mixture starts to curdle).
Add the vanilla, then the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk, until everything is mixed. Spoon this on top of the apricots and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 50 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Run a fine knife round the edge of the cake and turn it out on to a plate, giving the tin a shake. Carefully spoon out any apricots stuck to the tin and put on the cake.
