CARAMELISED APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH ALMOND AND ORANGE BLOSSOM

(Serves 8-10)

INGREDIENTS:

For the apricots: 15g butter (plus extra for greasing); 7-8 apricots; 140g sugar; 60ml water; 1tbsp lemon juice (use the same lemon for the zest)

For the cake: 175g butter, softened, plus extra to grease; 175g caster sugar; pinch of sea salt; zest of 1 lemon; 3 eggs; 100g (plus 2tbsp) 00 or plain flour; 100g ground almonds; 100ml yoghurt (plus extra to serve); 1tbsp orange blossom water;

2tsp baking powder; mascarpone, to serve (optional)

METHOD:

1. Grease a 23cm cake tin and line with parchment. Heat the oven to 180°C /Gas 4.

2. Halve and de-stone the apricots and set aside.

3. Gently heat the sugar and water in a pan, swirling rather than stirring to dissolve the sugar until the mixture turns a light coffee colour. Keep swirling occasionally to make sure caramelisation is even.

4. When the mixture is caramel coloured, add the butter and turn heat down to low, stirring until it all comes together. Add the lemon juice and stir well to get a smooth caramel.

5. Pour the caramel into the cake tin and smooth to an even layer. Add apricots, placing them close to each other, cut-side down.

6. For the cake: cream the butter and sugar with the salt and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, until incorporated. Add flour and ground almonds and mix again. Finally add yoghurt, baking powder and the orange blossom water. Stir to form a smooth batter, then ladle into the prepared tin.

7. Smooth the top, then bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden and risen. Allow to cool for a few minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve with yoghurt or a blob of mascarpone.

NOTE: If you can’t get fresh apricots tinned ones, work surprisingly well