Isn't life wonderfully aligned when you get a craving for something then the perfect recipe shows up on your culinary radar. Chelsea Winter loves a good old-fashioned apricot loaf as much as I do (Eat, Random House, 2017). By stewing the apricots first you get a soft fruity hit throughout, and the yoghurt lightens up the batter. Unsulphured apricots have been grown without chemicals and not preserved with sulphur dioxide. They are darker and sweeter than the cheaper sulphured apricots. This loaf requires a long, slow bake to ensure even cooking.


1 3/4 c chopped apricots (I used organic unsulphured Ceres)

1 1/3 c water

175 g butter or dairy-free spread, softened

1 c brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 c flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

3/4 c yoghurt (or milk)

demerara sugar, optional


Place apricots and water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. They will become soft and mushy as the water evaporates. Spread out on a tray or plate and let cool; place in the fridge if you like.

Preheat oven to 150C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and yolk, then the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Add half the flour mixture to the butter and fold in gently. Fold in the yoghurt, then the remaining flour. Lastly, fold in the apricots.

Scrape batter into the tin and flatten the top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar if desired.

Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Check it's cooked through using the skewer test. Rest in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

The cake is lovely when still warm but it's an even better texture the next day when it's a bit firmer and easier to slice.