COOK Serve up Joy: Apricot, Orange and Almond Torte

This is something of a miracle pudding-cum-cake in that it ticks virtually every box in terms of dietary preferences (it’s vegan and gluten- and dairyfree) and still manages to delight everybody when it comes to taste.

Serving it warm is pretty much essential. If you have leftovers or have made the torte ahead of time, heating each slice for 20 seconds in the microwave will do the trick. If apricots aren’t your thing, just swap in another stone fruit or berry.

Extracted from COOK Serve up Joy by Kyle Books £28.00, Photography by Carolyn Barber. Buy now

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Desserts

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Method

PREP: 15 MINUTES COOK: 45 MINUTES SERVES 4–6

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.

Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin with coconut oil.

Place the flour, ground almonds, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and mix. Place the melted coconut oil, milk, almond extract (if using), vinegar and orange zest in a separate large mixing bowl.

Slowly stir the flour mixture into the liquid mixture until combined, then fold in the polenta or breadcrumbs. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Top with the apricot halves, cut-sides down, and sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Meanwhile, make the syrup.

Place the sugar in a small saucepan along with the orange zest and juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Heat for 2–3 minutes until reduced by half. Remove from the heat.

When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and place the tin on a wire rack. Prick about 20 holes in the cake with a cocktail stick (avoiding the apricots) and spoon over the warm syrup. Allow to cool in the tin, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool a little more – not for too long though, as the torte is best served warm.

Serve with crème fraîche (if you want) and a few extra toasted flaked almonds. You can make a simple apricot coulis to serve alongside: cook 6 dried apricots with 1 tablespoon of sugar and just enough water to cover the fruit on a low heat for about 10 minutes, then blitz to a purée in a food processor.