Nonna’s easy Apricot Custard Cake
Nonna’s Easy Apricot Custard Cake reminds me of how easy it is to whip up anything for the table. Don’t go buy that dessert tonight, make something where you control the ingredients. This is one of those cakes that you can change-up the fruit and batter and have a different dessert each time.
Love of Fruit
We ate a lot of fruit growing up. My nonna loved apricots and I took her light cake batter, which turns into a custard like consistency and added the apricots. I was thinking about nonna Emilia and nonno Salvatore today, and this will bring me comfort as I eat it as part of my afternoon tea ritual. The cake batter for Nonna’s Easy Apricot Custard Cake is one that we use a lot: the density changes by adjusting the amount of flour.
Fruit usually ended our meals; it was served along with a piece of cheese, and you can serve some sliced cheese with this cake. I remember my nonno cutting up apples, peeling oranges and slicing grapes for me and later my kids. Sometimes just a simple gesture at a table becomes a life-long tradition. I find myself doing the same thing for my grandson; I quarter grapes and thinly slice apples and it is a time to laugh at the table and continue traditions.
A good article on how to grow citrus trees in the home:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/citrus/growing-citrus-trees-indoors.htm
You can see the custard layer. 
Nonno’s Legacy
Nonno tried to grow all types of fruits after immigrating to Canada. My mom still has an orange tree he planted years ago that produces a couple of oranges each year. She keeps this in a sunny room in her home. We have a chestnut tree that he planted at camp along the shores of Lake Superior. It is a testament to his love of farming and it is a symbol that he is always with us. When I look at all these things, I am reminded of the importance of a legacy; it is not about leaving money and property, it is about a gift that keeps on giving.
Nonno’s legacy was his love for his family and traditions; he wanted all of us to never forget our roots. There are little parts of him everywhere; when we look at those plants, we see him and are reminded of what the world was like before he emmigrated. Nonno lives forever in our hearts and in the life he lived in Calabria and the one he created here; now that’s something money can’t buy.
Nonna's Easy Apricot Custard Cake
This is a versatile batter and you can add your favourite fruit.
Ingredients
The cake batter
- 3 eggs separated
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp for the pie dish
The Apricots
- 12 apricot halves
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Peach Schnapps
The presentation
- powdered sugar
Instructions
The Cake
-
Set the oven to 375 F. Take a large pie dish and place one tablespoon of butter in it and put it in the oven when setting the temperature. When the temperature reaches 375 the butter will be melted and the dish warmed.
Separate the eggs.
Beat the egg whites.
In another bowl, beat the egg yolks then add the sugar, vanilla and flour.
Now add the milk and gently whisk.
Melt 2 tbsp of butter and add to the yolk mixture.
Now fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.
Take the warm pie dish out of the oven and spread the butter around.
Place the apricot halves upside down into the pie dish.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and now pour in the peach schnapps.
Pour the batter over the fruit.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Let cook and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Cut into six pieces.
Recipe Notes
This cake has a nice custard like consistency.
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