APRICOT, PISTACHIO AND ROSE GATEAU

SERVES 8-10

FOR THE APRICOTS

6 ripe apricots, halved and stoned 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out 120g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp rosewater

FOR THE CAKE

310g unsalted butter, very soft, plus extra to grease the tin

100g shelled, unsalted pistachios

300g golden caster sugar

6 medium eggs

210g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 lemon, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice

4 tbsp milk

250ml double cream

250g Greek yogurt

1-1½ tsp rosewater, to taste

2 tbsp icing sugar

3 tbsp nibbed or chopped pistachios, to decorate A large handful unsprayed rose petals, to decorate

Put the apricot halves in a pan with the vanilla pod and scraped vanilla seeds, sugar and 150ml water. Slowly bring to a bubble to dissolve the sugar. Cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the apricots are soft, but just holding their shape. Add the lemon juice and rosewater and set aside to cool. Peel the skin from the apricot halves and discard.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease two 18cm tins with a little butter and line the bases with baking parchment. Put the pistachios in the small bowl of a food processor with 15g of the caster sugar and blitz in pulses, until quite finely ground.

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and caster sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Should the batter curdle, stir in a spoonful of the flour between egg additions. Sift the remaining flour and baking powder over and fold in with the blitzed pistachios. Add the lemon zest and juice and the milk, and fold mixture together.

Divide between the tins and level the tops. Bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, until golden and risen.

Drain the apricots and transfer the syrup to a jug. Douse the hot cooked cakes with 2-3 tbsp poaching syrup each (remaining syrup can be used in cocktails) and leave to cool in the tins for 20 minutes. Turn cakes out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Once cool, slice each one in half.

Whip the cream, yogurt, 1 tsp rosewater and icing sugar together very briefly until thick and smooth – you only want to combine them, not over-whip. Taste and add up to an extra half teaspoon of rosewater, if needed.

Turn one cake top upside down on a serving plate so that the cut side faces up. Spread the cut side with a couple of tablespoons of the yogurt and cream mix. Put four apricot halves on top; they should be soft enough to ‘spread out’ into a layer. Lay the corresponding cake base on top, cut side down and repeat the yogurt cream and apricot toppings. Now lay the remaining cake top on this, cut side up, add another layer of yogurt mix and the last of the apricots and cover with the last cake base, cut-side down.

Now spread the remaining yogurt-cream on top and bring over the sides with a palette knife, swooping round so it is partly ‘scraped’. Scatter with the pistachios and the rose petals to finish. →