MAXINE GORDON bakes a sticky, fruity cake full of the taste of summer.

THIS cake is easy to make and really packs a punch with flavours.

It features a lemon sponge with pieces of dried apricots scattered throughout, filled with thick, lemon curd, and topped with an apricot glaze then a lemon one.

To save time I used shop-bought lemon curd (buy a quality one, I used Sainsbury's Taste The Difference, but York company Mercer's is super too).

The double glaze is a tip from Raymond Blanc, it creates a lovely shiny finish and tastes great too.


Summer lemon and apricot cake

(serves 12)

Heat oven to 180C (170C fan)/350F/Gas 4


Ingredients

For the sponge:

8oz (250g) butter/marg

8oz (250g) caster sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

8oz (250g) self-raising flour

1tsp of baking powder

Juice and zest of one lemon

Handful of dried apricots cut into very small cubes

For the apricot glaze:

2 tablespoons apricot jam (lightly warmed in a pan or microwave)

For the lemon glaze:

Juice of one lemon dissolved into 4oz (100g) of granulated sugar


Method

1. Heat oven to 180C; grease and flour (or line with baking parchment) two 20cm/8in cakes tins.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until soft and creamy.

3. Sieve in half the flour, and fold.

4. Fold in half the eggs.

5. Sieve in remaining flour and baking powder, and fold.

6. Fold in rest of eggs.

7. Mix in lemon juice, zest, and apricot pieces.

8. Split mixture between two cake tins and bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden on top and springy to touch (or a skewer when inserted comes out clean).

9. Remove from oven and after a few minutes, turn out to cool on a wire rack.

10. While still warm, spread the warm apricot glaze over the top of one of the sponges.

11. Five minutes later, spread the lemon glaze over the top of the apricot glaze, which should now be setting nicely.

12. Fill with a generous amount of lemon curd, then sandwich the cakes together, with the glazed sponge on the top.