The Famous French Cake That Melts in Your Mouth: Apricot Clouds, Simple and Delicious!

The Famous French Cake That Melts in Your Mouth: Apricot Clouds, Simple and Delicious!

Picture this: a luscious, creamy filling nestled between layers of delicate, lemon-infused dough, topped with juicy apricots and a dusting of powdered sugar. That’s the essence of Apricot Clouds, a French cake renowned for its exquisite taste and simplicity. In this article, we’ll embark on a culinary journey, uncovering the secrets behind crafting this heavenly dessert.

Ingredients

To embark on our culinary adventure, let’s gather the essential ingredients:

Cream:

• Milk (1 1/4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanillin sugar

Dough:

• All-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
• 100 ml vegetable oil (7 tablespoons)
• 2 eggs
• Lemon zest
• Apricots (1/3 cup, chopped)

Cream Preparation

Creating the creamy filling is the first step towards crafting our Apricot Clouds. Here’s how you do it:

1. Mixing the Starch: Begin by adding a little cold milk to the corn starch and mix until smooth.
2. Preparing the Cream: In a thick-bottomed saucepan, combine the remaining milk, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly until it reaches a boil.
3. Adding Starch: Once the mixture is boiling, add the starch mixture to the saucepan. Continue heating and stirring until the cream thickens. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover it with cling film, and let it cool completely.

Dough Preparation

The dough serves as the foundation of our Apricot Clouds, providing the perfect balance of texture and flavor. Here’s how to prepare it:

1. Mixing Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and powdered sugar.
2. Incorporating Wet Ingredients: Add vegetable oil, eggs, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients. Mix until a homogeneous dough forms.
3. Chilling the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal parts, wrap them in cling film, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Assembling the Cake

Now comes the exciting part—bringing all the elements together to create our Apricot Clouds:

1. Rolling Out the Dough: Roll out one half of the dough to a thickness of 0.7-0.8 mm and cut out round bases for the cakes.
2. Layering the Cream: Place the round dough pieces on a baking sheet and top them with the cooled cream.
3. Adding Apricot Filling: Arrange a few pieces of canned apricots on each cake.
4. Sprinkling Crumbs: Grate the second half of the dough and sprinkle the crumbs over the cakes.

Baking the Cake

With our Apricot Clouds assembled, it’s time to bake them to perfection:

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Baking: Place the assembled cakes in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serving Suggestions

Once baked to golden perfection, serve your Apricot Clouds with a final flourish:

• Powdered Sugar: Before serving, dust the cakes with powdered sugar for an added touch of sweetness.
• Accompaniments: Pair your Apricot Clouds with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent treat.