Apricot Corn Meal Cakes

Apricots are one of my Summer’s favorites, I bought some at a local farm, they were positively ripe, sweet, soft and entirely perfect. They are a  clear reminder of once in a lifetime childhood Summers, my mom’s kitchen, 40 pounds of apricots, canning jars…all memories are one of a kind, and I just love mine, they revisit my mind so unexpectedly, with the full force of delightful emotions they make me smile. ♥♥♥

Recipe /9 cakes -12 cakes/
This recipe is an altered version of Czech Bublanina Recipe.
3eggs /separated egg whites and egg yolks/
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
1tsp lime or lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
fruit, I used about 5 fresh apricots, cored, and thickly sliced, you can also use other seasonal fruit or even canned fruit if you wish.
1/4 cup of sugar to roll apricots in
1/4 tsp cinnamon /optional/

– Heat oven to 350F
– Prepare your muffin/cupcake pan by spraying it with pam or brushing with some butter or lightly with oil
– I find apricots when baked or cooked can get  little sour, prepare you fresh apricots by removing the stones
and slicing them into thick slices and rolling them in the mixture of  1/4 cup of sugar + 1/4tsp cinnamon.
– Mix all the flours in a large bowl, add baking powder and salt
– Beat butter with 1/2 cup of sugar for about 3 minutes,  add egg yolks, one at a time, beat well after each addition, add lemon/lime zest, vanilla, beating well after each addition.
-Whip the 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks form
– Alternatively fold in flour and whipped egg whites into the butter mixture. Using light strokes until smooth.
-Divide batter into the muffin cake pan cavities, I used 2 tbls for each cavity.
-Top each cavity with 2 thick slices of apricot that you rolled in cinnamon sugar./Cinnamon is optional/
-Bake for about 15-18 minutes, remember to rotate the pan halfway through baking.
-Test with a tooth pick, if it comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven, let cool for several minutes and then carefully run a knife around each cake and remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Tips 
I used a 12 cavity muffin pan, but I only filled 9 so I pour water into 3 empty cavities in my muffin pan. I find it helps to keep the dough moist while baking
Try using different seasonal fruit, I highly recommend cherries, peaches and  other fruits are also delicious.

Simple Goodness

Related
 Cheerios Strawberry Cheese Tart
Cheerios Peach Cheese Tart
Sweet Bread Cheese Fruit Tartlets
Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Whole Wheat Poppy Seed Thumbprints  
How to Make Farmer’s Cheese  
Rhubarb Lavender Tart
Plum Nectarine Sorbet