Focus on Bideford with Vanessa Ebdon: Apricot and frangipane traybake

A recipe from Marshford Organics:

I’m not quite sure when ‘traybakes’ became a thing but what a good idea they are!

There we are – a flat cake easy to divide, pick up and eat and all in its own container, just ready to take out to the garden or even to the beach.

This one has a definite Mediterranean feel, pairing the duo of apricots and almonds that grow in abundance there.

This was not always the case, as apricots originate from China and it was various incursions from Iran and the Levant that brought the almonds.

The ‘frangipane’ mix certainly hails from the Med although sources vary as to whether it came from Italy or France – probably both had different versions.

This is quite simple compared to some older recipes, containing just butter, sugar, almonds and egg.

Oh I forgot, I couldn’t make a cake without a touch of vanilla!

This cuts into 15 squares in a tin that measures 20 x 30 cm

Apricot and frangipane traybake

Ingredients

• 750g apricots
• Cake batter:
• 100g butter, softened
• 100g castor sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 100g self raising flour
• 15g flaked almonds

Frangipane:

65g butter, softened

65g castor sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

65g ground almonds

½ teaspoon vanilla paste

How to make

Stone the apricots and remove an imperfections.

Put in a small pan with a sprinkling of water and cook gently for about eight minutes until they are softened. Set aside.

To make the frangipane

Beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy and then incorporate the egg slowly.

Add the vanilla and fold in the ground almonds. Set aside.

Set the oven to 200°C.

Line the baking tray with unbleached baking paper. It takes the shape better if the tray is greased first.

To make the cake batter

Beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy and then incorporate the egg slowly.

Fold in the flour and spread the mixture over the bottom of the lined tray.

Make 15 mounds of apricot on the batter and then cover with a teaspoon of the frangipane mix until it is all used up.

Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.