Apricot, pistachio and rose gateau

This light and floral gateau celebrates distinctive Middle Eastern favours. The subtle perfume of rose adds a hint of exoticism, but don’t be tempted to overdo do it as it will overpower the honey-like apricots and pistachios.

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

For the apricots

6 ripe apricots, halved and stones removed

1 vanilla pod, split

½ cup golden caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp rosewater

For the cake

1⅓ cups very soft unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the tin

¾ cup shelled unsalted pistachios

1½ cups superfine sugar

6 medium eggs

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 lemon, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice

¼ cup milk

For the icing

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup 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 and flowers, to decorate

The Homes & Gardens method

1. Put the apricot halves in a saucepan and scrape in the vanilla seeds, also adding the pod itself, sugar and ⅔ cup water. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then reduce the heat to low for 5-10 minutes, poaching the apricots until they are soft, but still holding their shape. Add the lemon juice and rosewater and set aside to cool, then peel the skin from the apricot halves and discard.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F, gas mark 4. Grease the base and sides of two 7-8-inch cake tins with a little butter and line the bases with baking parchment. Put the pistachios in the small bowl of a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and pulse blitz until quite finely ground.

3. Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition. Should the batter curdle, stir in a spoonful of the four between the egg additions. Sift the remaining four and baking powder over and fold in with the blitzed pistachios. Add the lemon zest and juice and the milk, then gently fold the mixture together. Divide the cake mixture between the tins and level the tops. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until golden and risen. If the tops start to brown too quickly, cover the cakes loosely with a double layer of foil.

4. Drain the apricots and transfer the syrup to a jug. Douse each of the freshly cooked cakes with 2-3 tablespoons of the poaching syrup (any remaining syrup makes a great addition to cocktails) and leave to cool in the tins for 20 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Once they are cool, slice each one in half horizontally.

5. Whip the cream, yogurt, 1 teaspoon of rosewater and icing sugar together very briefly until thick and smooth – be careful not to over-whip, you only want to combine them. Taste and add up to an extra half a teaspoon of rosewater, if you like. Place one cake top upside down on a serving plate so that the cut side faces up. Tuck four strips of baking paper round the very edge of the cake (so that they can be easily removed) to keep the plate clean while you decorate. Spread the cut side of the cake with a couple of tablespoons of the yogurt and cream mixture, going right to the edges. Put four apricot halves on top; they should be soft enough to “spread out” into an apricot 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 (so that the top is a clean, fat surface).

6. Now spread the remaining yoghurt cream on top of the cake and bring over the sides with a palette knife, swooping round so that the icing is partly “scraped” to reveal the surface of the cake for a rustic look. Carefully remove the pieces of paper, then scatter with the nibbed or chopped pistachios and the rose petals to finish.

This is a stunning crowd-pleaser that will take a little effort but could be used as an alternative dessert for your Mother's Day lunch, with extra to spare.