This apricot jam cake with marshmallow frosting is a perfect cake to serve with coffee or tea. A soft sponge flavored with lemon zest and apricot jam, topped by a fluffy marshmallow and crunchy pistachios. You would not believe how easy it is to make.
Origin of this recipe
I found this recipe in a little cake book I bought in London in 1994 while browsing in Notting hill after my admission interview for London Business School.
It is a collection of different cakes, from complicated to easier ones. I must have made at least 20 of them, and I often change some of the ingredients to suit our taste. They have all been delightfully good.
This one is no exception!
In this recipe I use my homemade apricot jam without pectin. I always add a layer of Apricot jam over a fruit pie as it gives a nice shine. As I use it a lot, I like to make my own jam every summer.
Every time I bake a cake from this book it reminds me of the euphoric feeling of my London adventure. A new vibrant city, a new tasty cake.
Making the apricot jam cake
- Cream the butter (at room temperature) with sugar and lemon zest
- Add the egg yolks
- Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture alternating with the milk
- Pour the mix into a baking pan that has been buttered and dusted with flour ( I use a baking pan with removable bottom 9 in - 23cm)
- Drizzle with warm apricot jam
- Cook at 355 F - 180 C for 20 minutes
Making the marshmallow frosting
- Whip the egg whites along with the sugar until they form a thick frosting.
- Spread on top of the cooked cake
- Sprinkle with the pistachios and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Then place it on a stand or a serving dish to cool down completely
- Serve with coffee or tea
Tools to make it easy
There are 3 tools I highly recommend to make this cake:
- Egg separator: when I need to separate the egg yolk from the white I always use this tool that makes the process so much easier. I break the egg and pour it inside and it automatically separates the yolk from the white.
Important Note: I always do that over a separate cup and remove the white before I break the next egg. When you need to whip the egg white, it is very important that there are no traces of the yolk, otherwise, the foam does not firm up.
- Electric mixer: I use KitchenAid but you can use any simple electric mixer. Whipping egg white is too long to do by hand and hard if you are not used to it.
- Pan with removable bottom: A pan with removable bottom makes it so much easier to remove the cake from the pan and place it on a serving dish. I always cover the bottom with a parchment paper to make it even easier.
Important Note: Before removing a cake from the baking pan, wait at least 10 minutes otherwise it will be too warm and you risk breaking it. Although I never wait more than 10 minutes otherwise the steam will make the sides soggy.
When to serve this cake
For me this cake is at its best served at an afternoon tea, the fluffy marshmallow and the apricot jam are the perfect companion to a good quality English tea.
You can also served it for dessert after a nice meal, but not an abundant dinner as the cake is also very rich.
if you are having friends for an after-dinner you can serve it with a selection of homemade liqueurs: Limoncello or Nocino are a perfect match.
More meringue recipes
For more meringues recipe check:
If you are making this apricot jam cake with marshmallow and pistachios, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Apricot Jam Cake With Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 2 egg yolk
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon apricots jam
Marshmallow Frosting
- 2 egg white at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon grated pistachios
Instructions
Making the cake batter
- Cream the butter (at room temperature) with sugar and lemon zest⅓ cup butter, ½ cup caster sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Add the egg yolks2 egg yolk
- Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mix alternating with the milk1 cup flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup milk
- Pour the mix into a baking pan that has been buttered and dusted with flour
- Drizzle with warm apricot jam2 tablespoon apricots jam
- Cook at 355 F - 180 C for 20 minutes
Making the marshmellow frosting
- Whip the egg whites along with the sugar and spread on top of the cooked cake2 egg white, 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- Sprinkle with the pistachios and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown.2 tablespoon grated pistachios
- Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and place on a stand to cool down completely
- Serve with coffee or tea
Video
Notes
- Before you start, remember to leave the butter out of the fridge as you need it at room temperature
- The egg white to make the marshmallow also should be at room temperature
- When you need to whip the egg white, it is very important that there are no traces of the yolk, otherwise, the foam does not firm up. Break one egg at a time on a separate cup
- To separate the yolk from the white I use an egg separator, which I highly recommend. It is not expensive and it makes life so much easier when you have to separate the whites from the yolks.
- I use my homemade apricot jam if you want to know the recipe
- To bake this cake I used an 9 in - 22 cm cake pan with a removable bottom, you can use a smaller pan if you want a higher cake with a higher marshmallow frosting.
- Always wait 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan otherwise you risk to brack it.
- To make it easier to remove the cake I cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Nutrition
Patty @pattysaveurs.com
This cake looks so delicious Laura! And with marshmallow fluff! Don't show it to Lainey, she will eat her screen... 😀
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
The marshmallow frosting sounds delicious-- and apricot is my fav!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
That frosting looks fantastic, I bet it perks up the cake and makes it extra special
Amy @ The Cook Report
Yum! This cake sounds like such a good flavour combo, apricot is so tasty
Kavey Favelle
Apricot jam is one of my very favourite jams (and this from a real jam-lover) so the cake looks very much one I'd love.
Kim @ Three Olives Branch
What a fun idea! It looks delicious. Apricots remind me of my grandparents so I always love cooking with them!
Anthea
Hi Laura!! Yet another delicious-looking recipe I cannot wait to try. In fact, today may just be the day!! At first I thought “oh no, I haven’t any marshmallows” but then I read the ingredients and realized it’s an egg white soft meringue “frosting” like lemon meringue pie has
So now, I will definitely be making it! Have no pistachios though...any other suggestions for the crunch?
Laura
Thank you Anthea. I am sure you will love it. You can substitute with any nuts. Actually I think the original recipe has grated coconut.
Anthea
I made it tonight and it was a huge hit!! Passed my mother’s high bar (an excellent baker her whole life) — said it was the beat cake I’ve ever made. Woohoo!! So light and a perfect crumb. Did not sub any other nuts and glad I didn’t because they (and even coconut) would get stuck in my mom’s teeth (!!) I also love how easy it is to make . I’ve found our new go-to cake. Thank you!
Laura
Delighted to hear Anthea. Thank you for letting me know