Fresh apricot and cherry cake

Prep time: 1 hour Bake time: 50 minutes Makes: 8 to 12 servings

2

cups teaspoons all-purpose baking flour

2 powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

Zest from 1 medium lemon

1⁄4 cup buttermilk

6to8 fresh apricots, depending upon their size, halved

1⁄2 cup fresh stemmed and pitted red cherries

1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar, for sprinkling (Turbinado or sanding sugar will create a crust)

1⁄4 cup apricot jam

2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder and salt. Reserve.

3. Flour and butter a 9-by-9-inch cake pan. Line with baking parchment (about 2 inches longer than the pan), making sure it is long enough to pick the cake up after it is baked. I like to use two pieces going different directions to ease out the finished cake.

4. Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.

With an electric mixer, beat the mixture until nicely blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest. Slowly add the reserved flour mixture into the wet mixture, beating on low until well-blended. Add the buttermilk and mix to combine.

5. Spread the batter evenly into the pan using a rubber spatula. Place the halved apricots, cut side down, in rows or in circles on top of the batter. Push them down slightly. Place the cherries beside the apricot halves, pushing them halfway down into the batter. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the apricots and cherries. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in a small pan, melt the jam and water over low heat until it is thinned out. Use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the warm cake to give it a shiny finish.

7. Lift the cake out of the pan with parchment paper and transfer to a cake plate. Pull the parchment paper out from under the cake.

8. Cut into serving pieces; serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.