In the mountains, when it’s not quite winter and not quite spring, everything is gray, dead, and covered in muck. The locals call it “mud season”. I call it depressing.

As they say, “April showers bring May flowers,” but enough is enough. Time to spring into spring with a vibrant, energizing almond layered cake, bursting with the sunniest fruit of all, apricot. Because we could use a little brightening around here.

The mornings have been dreadful lately. Cold, dark, damp, and muddy. We’ve been staying in, waiting for glimpses of sunlight, and indulging in lazy starts to our day, which typically involves thick Belgian waffles drowned in Kodiak Cakes Super Fruit Syrup. Normally, maple syrup is our go to with waffles and pancakes, but when you eat them often you don’t want to load up on piles of sugar. Let’s be honest, we get enough sugar in this house; it doesn’t need to begin at breakfast, at least, not everyday. The Super Fruit Syrups have less sugar, they’re made with real fruit, no high fructose corn syrup, and have a delightfully bright flavor. Lately, apricot has been our favorite. So much so, it inspired a cake. A cake you could eat for breakfast. We did.

Nothing energizes like fresh tart apricot, bright flowers, and an almond cake “spring”-ing with flavor.

Apricots taste like sunshine. They look like sunshine. They will inspire sunshine. An apricot’s flavor is explosive, making it a perfect match for the warm and moody almond layered cake. Made with part almond flour, for added flavor, rich buttermilk, and Amaretto liquor (yessss), it’s a deeply rich cake. Layered with fresh apricots, classic cream cheese frosting, and drenched in Kodiak Cakes Apricot Super Fruit Syrup, it’s not only beautifully balanced in flavor, it’s beautiful to look at.

The Kodiak Cakes Apricot Super Fruit Syrup brings this cake to life. It keeps the cake layers moist, which is crucial when you’re not fully frosting the exterior. It deepens the flavor of the fresh apricot, and it adds a subtle sweetness without being overbearing. I even add a few tablespoons to the frosting. It’s amazing with cream cheese frosting. Basically, I’d bathe in it…if it wasn’t so sticky.

As decadent as this cake is, it’s also wonderfully refreshing. It has a rustic charm, a hearty texture, and doesn’t feel overly sweet. It’s a perfect anytime, all occasion cake. I topped it with fresh flowers, berries, apricot peelings rolled into flowers (feeling artsy) and finished with a dash of powdered sugar.

The ideal cake for spring and summer seasons. And breakfast.

Almond Cake

* Makes three 6” cake layers

You’ll need:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup super fine almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

Make the cake:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 6” cake pans.
In a medium bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a tall measuring cup, combine the amaretto and buttermilk. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed till light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla. Mix well, about 1 minute.
On low speed, slowly add half of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Scrape down the bowl. Repeat. Mix till just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, till a center tester comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and allow to cool completely.

Apricot Cream Cheese Frosting

You’ll need:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tablespoons Kodiak Cakes Apricot Super Fruit Syrup
pinch of kosher salt (optional)

Make the frosting:

In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the vanilla and Kodiak Cakes Apricot Super Fruit Syrup. Start with 3 tablespoons of syrup and taste. Add a tablespoon more if wanted, however, don’t add much more as it will make the frosting runny.
Add a pinch of salt, if using.
Mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Assemble the Cake

You’ll need:

1 cup Kodiak Cakes Apricot Super Fruit Syrup
2-3 fresh apricots, thinly sliced

Place one cake layer, flat side down on a serving dish. Using a pastry brush or spoon, generously apply a layer of apricot syrup, coating the top and sides of cake.
Top the layer with 1/2 cup of frosting, spreading evenly. Top the frosting with sliced apricots. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of extra syrup on top of the apricots.
Repeat the steps with remaining layers.
Decorate with fresh flowers, apricot slices, and berries. Serve at room temperature.
ENJOY!