Apricot olive oil cake - by Beth

EXTRA VIRGIN / EXTRA SWEET! 

Another celebration of everything sweet & evoo, an homage to summer & seasonal fruit in the shape of a roast apricot upside-down cake by Beth @boroughchef made with @honest_toil

What you’ll need:
12 apricots, halved with stones removed
4 or 5 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp runny honey
225g Honest Toil extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
280g sugar
300 g plain flour
40 g ground almonds
3 tsp baking powder
1 lemon
4 medium eggs
Pinch salt
To serve:
Creme fraiche
More Honest Toil

Method:
• Heat oven to 175c / 350F fan
• Place the apricots on a baking dish with the thyme and drizzle over the honey and a little olive oil. Roast for five minutes and set aside
• Mix together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt
• Using an electric whisk or whisk attachment on a stand mixer whisk together the eggs, sugar and a little lemon zest. Whisk for 3-5mins, until pale, thick and at ribbon stage - ie falling off the whisk in slowly dissolving ribbons
• Slowly stream in the olive oil, with the mixer still on high speed
• Turn the speed of the mixer low and mix in the juice of the lemon and the dry ingredients. When combined turn off the mixer
• Line a 24cm cake tin with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and place the apricots all over the base, cut-side up. If any skins are loose remove them
• Top the apricots with the cake batter and bake for 40-50 mins until the top is golden and a skewer or knife point comes out clean
• Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving with a spoonful of Creme fraiche and more Honest Toil