Apricot Angel Food Trifle

Let the apricot recipes begin!!

Sue and I are excited to announce that the next 2 weeks will be dedicated to recipes using apricots. 

Lillooet had it's annual Apricot Tsaqwem Festival this weekend so Sue and I put our thinking caps on to come up with creative sweet AND savory dishes using apricots, apricots, and more apricots.

I'm going to start off our celebration of apricots by sharing a recipe I made for a co-worker for her birthday last week. This one didn't make it to the festival but I think it may make the list for next year.

This is a light and airy trifle that has just the right amount of sweetness; perfect for BBQ season or even to pretty up your table during the holiday seasons.

Apricot Angel Food Trifle

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 10 or 11 whites)

1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

Apricot Layer

4 cups apricots, halved

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp apricot nectar

2 more cups apricots, quartered

Pudding Layer

2 boxes (3.4 oz each) cheesecake pudding mix (or vanilla)

3 cups milk

Whipped Cream Layer

2 cups whipping cream

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

Decoration

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1 - 2 apricots, halved

Directions

Cake: Preheat oven to 375. 

In a small bowl, stir together flour and 1/2 cup sugar, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually start beating in the 1 1/3 cups sugar - 1/3 cup at a time - beating after each addition, until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla and almond extract.

Sprinkle flour mixture over the egg whites. Fold in with rubber spatula until the flour mixture just disappears. Do NOT over mix or you will deflate the whites.

Scrape into an ungreased (do NOT grease!) angel food pan/ tube pan (10 inches), spreading evenly.

Bake at 375 for 35 - 40 minutes, until top cracks and feels dry -  long toothpick inserted near center should come out clean. 

Remove from heat, immediately turn upside down onto heatproof funnel or 4 soup cans.

Let hang until cool, about 2 - 3 hours. 

Loosen sides of cake from the pan by running a knife around the edge. Remove from pan.

Let sit while you make the Apricot layer, pudding layer, and whipped cream layer.

Apricot Layer: Place 4 cups of apricots into a saucepan. Place over medium heat. Cook and stir until apricots start to soften and breakdown. Mix the cornstarch with the apricot nectar until slurry forms, stir into hot apricots. Continue to cook and stir until mixture starts to thicken a bit, about 3 - 4 minutes. 

Remove from heat, stir in the 2 cups of quartered apricots, and let cool completely. (Place in fridge to speed process)

Pudding Layer: Whisk together pudding mixes and 3 cups of milk until smooth. Let sit to thicken up (about 10 - 15 minutes)

Whipped Cream Layer: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream, 3 Tbsp sugar, and almond extract until stiff peaks form. 

Assemble Trifle: Cut angel food cake into cubes using a serrated knife.

Have your cake, apricot layer, pudding layer, and whipped cream layer all ready to go.

Layer half of the cake in the bottom of a glass trifle bowl (or large, glass salad bowl).

Top with 1/2 of the pudding, then 1/2 of the apricot sauce, then half of the whipping cream. 

Repeat the layers once more to reach the top of the bowl. Top with the slivered almonds and halved apricots to decorate.

Chill at least 4 hours before serving. I chilled mine, covered, overnight and it was lovely!

You can even make these in individual containers for easier serving.

Just do one layer of cake, pudding, apricot sauce, and whipping cream and top with almonds OR another cube of cake to decorate.

I love desserts that look like they take a lot of work but really aren't too bad. I chose to make the angel food cake from scratch but you can, of course, "cheat" and use a box mix or simply buy a pre-made cake from the store to make things even easier.

We hope you continue to check back over the next 2 weeks to see all of our other apricot recipes. 

Here's a teaser of what's to come -- 

Apri-HOT BBQ Sauce

Cream Cheese & Jalapeno Stuffed Apricots Wrapped in Bacon

Apricot Breakfast Buns (yeast)

Apricot & Pecan Pinwheel Cookies

Apricot Scones with Apricot Honey Butter

Apricot Cream Pie Dip with Pie Crust Dippers

Spicy Apricot Bacon Pull Apart Bread

Russian Apricot Ambrosia Sponge

Apricot Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette & Spicy Almonds

Lemony Apricot Cookie Tarts

Be sure to visit My Turn (for us)  and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons  and Or So She Says and Six Sisters Stuff  and Memories By The Mile for some fun and tasty links!