Ruby Bhogal’s Cherry, Apricot and Almond Shortcake
By OcadoLife
Published on 25 April 2022
Fresh fruit, a sumptuous whipped almond crème pât and a moist, crumbly sponge: this is fantastic for a birthday or picnic. Need we say more? Well, yes, we could go on and on about this delectable creation. It was created by Bake Off 2018 finalist Ruby Bhogal who adds almond-flavoured whisked cream to the classic crème pât recipe. But in case you think all this is just too indulgent, slices, or chunks, of cherries and apricots add a nice element of fresh fruit. We’re going to need a bigger plate.Time and servings
1 hr 15 minsTotal time
12Servings
30 minsPrep time
45 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 300 g of apricots
- 115 g of unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 330 g of self-raising flour
- 125 ml of vegetable oil
- 315 g of caster sugar, plus 65g for the crème pâtissière
- 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste, plus 1 tsp for the crème pâtissière
- 4 large eggs
- 300 ml of whole milk, plus 250ml for the crème pâtissière
- 1.5 tsp of almond extract, for the crème pâtissière
- 3 medium egg yolks, for the crème pâtissière
- 10 g of plain flour, for the crème pâtissière
- 10 g of cornflour, for the crème pâtissière
- 300 ml of double cream, for the crème pâtissière
- 1 handful of flaked almonds
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease 3 x 18cm cake tins with butter and line fully with baking paper. Sift the flour into a bowl, add ½ tsp salt and stir with a balloon whisk; set aside.Step 2
Put the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla bean paste into a freestanding mixer and mix on high for 3-4 mins, until light and fluffy (or use an electric hand mixer). Add the eggs one by one, mixing well. Add half the flour and mix until just combined. Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour in the milk, mix on medium until it’s fully combined; remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour; mix briefly.Step 3
Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 30 mins. After baking, remove from the oven and allow the sponges to sit in the tins for a few mins before slicing off any domed tops, to create a flat surface (these extra pieces are a chef’s treat!). Turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully.Step 4
Meanwhile, make the crème pat. Pour the milk into a pan, add the vanilla and almond and put over a medium heat. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, flour, cornflour and 50g of the sugar using a balloon whisk. When the milk is hot, pour a little into the egg yolks and whisk to combine; tip the yolk mixture into the milk. Stir with the whisk, heating until it thickens; allow to cool fully.Step 5
Whisk the cream and the remaining 15g of sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cooled crème pat, then set aside.Step 6
To assemble, pop a sponge on a plate. Add a third of the crème pat, then top with a third of the fruit; repeat with the other 2 sponges (just under a third each time of the crème pat and fruit). Spread the remaining crème pat thinly around the sides of the cake and top with the flaked almonds.