My love of the Olympics is almost unparalleled. I think they’re magical. From the Opening Ceremony to the Closing Ceremony, my TV is turned to the Games as often as possible, and when I’m not watching, chances are I’m thinking or talking about them. It doesn’t matter if they’re winter or summer, I just love them, and as the years go by, I find myself more appreciative of the effort it takes to be in the games.
These athletes dedicate their lives to their sport. Some of them are destined for greatness, winning medal after medal, concrete proof they are the best or one of the best in their sport. They become famous for the rest of their lives for their sporting accomplishments, never truly having to leave the sport behind them, as they become coaches or announcers, the best experts in their field. Then there are the other athletes, the ones who likely work just as hard, but won’t even come close to winning a medal. The ones who will never be known for the sport they play. The ones who go home to a regular job. The ones whose names we won’t remember an hour or day later let alone years later. It’s an amazing commitment.
What is perhaps the coolest thing is that while we all think we know who is going to win some events, anything, truly anything, could happen. One of those people who no one has ever heard of could beat the most famous person in a given sport just because they’re having a really great day or the other person a really bad one. Those moments are what make me watch because those moments show me anything is possible. They give me hope that dreams come true. That’s hope I need as I work toward my goals of having my novels published and more than a handful of people read my blog. And while I’ll never, ever be an Olympic athlete, though I think I may have missed my calling with fencing, if the athletes dreams can come true with hard work and dedication, then I believe mine can too.
Perhaps best of all, the Olympics are the best distraction ever for the world’s and our individual problems. For two weeks every two years, the world kind of stops to collectively watch the Olympics and cheer for their nation’s athletes to do their best and hopefully bring home some gold. It’s a joy watching the actual competitions, basically regardless of what is being played (who knew I was a water polo fan?). Joy that is intensified by hearing the backstories of competitors and seeing the NBC team have so much fun chatting with the athletes and exploring the sports and host city. I only wish they occurred more often, but then I realize they’re special and enjoyable because they only happen every two years. We stop to watch because they’re a treat, often occurring at much needed times.
This Apricot Cherry Crumb Cake definitely deserves a gold medal. I wanted to make something with apricots because they are one of my favorite fruits and I never see recipes for them. Apricots can be very finicky, too mushy, too hard, too bland, just plain yucky, but every so I often I stumble upon perfect apricots. I needed to do something with them other than just eating them. So I paired them with cherries, a natural pairing, I think, and baked them into a crazy moist cake with crumbs on top, some soft and moist, others crunchy. Like the Fresh Peach Cake, this is another one that takes forever to bake, but it is totally worth it. Another recipe of my own creation, I am thrilled with how this came out. It is so moist and has some of my favorite flavors of summer. You should seriously make this cake because I just know you’ll love it. It’s the perfect treat to enjoy while you cheer on your favorite athletes in the Olympics.
Apricot Cherry Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 80 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons apricot brandy (optional, peach or cherry brandy, or plain bourbon would also work)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 apricots, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
- Topping
- ¾ stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8 inch pan. Line the bottom only with parchment and butter the parchment.
- Make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would also work. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to fully combine. Add brandy if using and mix until fully incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture and mix only until barely combined. Mix in sour cream. Mix in the rest of the flour until you have a thick cake batter with all flour combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Top with sliced apricots in even rows. Try not to overlap. Place cherries on top, pressing some into the batter.
- Make the topping. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until fully incorporated with no big lumps. Add the butter. Stir until all of the dry mixture is moistened and clumps of various sizes are formed. Pour topping evenly over cake and fruit.
- Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the very center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, rotating halfway through if necessary. Make sure the toothpick has crumbs, or the cake may still be liquid in the middle. It will be golden brown on top. Some of the crumbs will become very crunchy, if you do not want this to happen, cover the cake after about 60 minutes of baking. Cool in pan for at least 1 hour. Cut into 12 pieces and serve warm or at room temperature. Store for up to 2 days at room temperature or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw pieces at room temperature for several hours or in a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, wrapping in parchment if you wish to prevent it from becoming crunchy. Whole cakes will take much longer to thaw.
This looks great, i really need to make more things with apricots!
I’ve never baked with apricots but set out to do it this year since I love them so much. The flavor is intensified, so it’s this pure apricot goodness. Nothing better.
Such a pretty crumb cake! This is so weird but…I don’t think I’ve ever had an apricot!
★★★★★
Thanks, Kayle! You have to try an apricot. They are one of my favorite fruits and right now is the time to buy them. If you like other stone fruits, you’ll probably like apricots.
Bow down to all things crumb! These look really tasty, not to mention quite visually appealing – love the color!
Thanks, Sydney! Everything’s better with some crumb topping. The color is really striking with all that great fruit.
I agree with you that the commitment needed to participate in the Olympics is one few people can really grasp. That makes it all the sadder when someone works to get there and then just disappears from the scene in one event, never realizeing there dream. I hope your dreams come true.
Thanks! Seeing Olympians’ dreams come true is wonderful and proves that great things happen and dreams come true. I just have to keep working at it.
Looks delicious! I’ll be this recipe would be wonderful with peaches, too.
Thanks for visiting, Susan! This recipe would be great with almost any fruit. Peaches, plums, blueberries, cranberries, pears, even apples, but they would probably need to be sauteed first. It’s a pretty versatile recipe, though.
Laura,
YUM! This look incredible–can’t wait to try them!
Mary
On Behalf of Chinet
Thanks, Mary, and thanks for visiting my site. I appreciate it 🙂 This is one of my favorite desserts. With cake, fruit, and a crumb topping, it has all the qualities of a great treat.
Just tried these – enjoyed them very much!! 🙂
★★★★★
Yay! They were one of my favorites too 🙂
These are very good, I shared with Allen and he enjoyed it too.
Thank you.
I’m glad you both liked them, Linda 🙂
Can you make this recipe with dried apricots when they are not in season.
Hi Deb! You could try, but I think it might be better with other in season fruit. Currently peaches would be great and in the fall, I’d try pears or apples. I hope this helps.