APRICOT & BUTTERMILK COFFEE CAKE

SERVES 8

125g dried apricots

½ cup apricot jam

½ cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest and juice of 1 lemon

¼ tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a 23cm round cake pan and line the bottom with baking paper.

2 Place the dried apricots in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak until cool enough to handle – about 15 minutes. With your fingers, pull each apricot in half lengthwise along the seam. Place the apricot halves around the bottom of the prepared pan, split-side up. Spoon jam over the apricots and set aside.

3 In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk in the vanilla, lemon zest and juice, salt and buttermilk.

4 In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until dry ingredients are just moistened, but no lumps remain.

5 Spoon batter over the prepared apricots. Bake for

40- 45 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.