Italian Apricot Cake Recipe – An Italian in my Kitchen

This Italian apricot cake is a simple summer dessert made with fresh apricots and Greek yogurt for a soft, tender crumb in every bite. Its lightly sweet flavor makes it perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or a slice with coffee.

This Italian apricot cake, or torta di albicocche, is the kind of seasonal fruit cake Italians love to make when apricots are in season. It’s based on my popular yogurt cake, with Greek yogurt in the batter for a moist, delicate crumb and freshly chopped apricots folded in for sweet, juicy bites throughout.

Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, it is also pretty enough to serve as dessert with a dusting of powdered sugar on top. If you love baking with fresh apricots, try my apricot bread next.

Why You’ll Love This Fresh Italian Apricot Cake

• Greek yogurt goes into the batter for a cake that stays incredibly moist without ever feeling heavy.
• Chopped fresh apricots are folded in so you get juicy, sweet bites of fruit all the way through.
• It is naturally less sweet than a typical frosted cake, which makes it just as at home on the breakfast table as the dessert one.

Ingredient Notes

• Cake or pastry flour: Gives this Italian apricot cake a more delicate, tender crumb. See the tips section below for how to make your own if needed.
• Greek yogurt: Full fat works best here for moisture and richness. Sour cream is a good substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
• Oil: Vegetable oil, light olive oil, melted butter, or coconut oil all work. Oil keeps the cake moist longer than butter alone.
• Fresh apricots: Ripe, in-season apricots make all the difference. They should be fragrant and slightly soft to the touch. No need to peel them.
• Eggs and egg yolk: The extra yolk adds richness and helps with structure.
• Turbinado sugar: Optional, but sprinkling it on top before baking gives a lovely golden, lightly crunchy finish.

How to Make Italian Apricot Cake

Start by preheating the oven and greasing and flouring a round cake pan. Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. I like doing this first so the baking powder is evenly mixed in before it hits the wet ingredients.

Beat the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until the mixture is pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter. This step is worth giving the full time because it helps give the cake that soft, airy crumb. Mix in the Greek yogurt and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients alternately with the oil. 

Toss the chopped apricots with a little flour before folding them into the batter. It is a small step, but it helps keep the fruit from sinking straight to the bottom. Fold gently to keep the batter light.

Spread batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan before moving to a wire rack, then finish with powdered sugar before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Stop mixing as soon as the batter is smooth. Overbeating develops the gluten and will make the cake tough instead of tender.
• Don’t rush the egg and sugar beating step. The full 8 minutes makes a real difference in the final texture of the apricot cake which is light and airy. 
• Don’t skip tossing the apricots in flour. It feels unnecessary but it really does keep the fruit suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
• Use ripe apricots. The riper and more fragrant they are, the better the cake will taste.
• DIY cake flour: For every cup of cake flour, measure one cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift well before using.

This Apricot Greek Yogurt Cake is soft, moist, and filled with the sweet-tart flavor of fresh apricots in every bite. The Greek yogurt creates a wonderfully tender crumb, making it the perfect cake to enjoy with your morning coffee, afternoon tea, or as a simple summer dessert. Easy to make and full of fresh fruit, it’s a recipe you’ll come back to all season long.

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