Apricot Gateau

Animal Crackers
*Christopher Morley
From Songs for a Little House


Animal crackers, and cocoa to drink,
That is the finest of suppers, I think;
When I'm grown up and can have what I
Please
I think I shall always insist upon these.

What do you choose when you're offered a
Treat?
When Mother says, "What would you like
Best to eat?"
Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?
It's cocoa and animals that I love the most!

The kitchen's the coziest place that I know;
The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,
And there in the twilight, how jolly to see
The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Daddy and Mother dine later in state,
With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait;
But they don't have nearly as much fun as I
Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing
By;
And Daddy once said he would like to be me
Having cocoa and animals once more for tea!

*Morley is probably best known for the novel, Kitty Foyle




I had this poem in mind the other day as I permitted Danny to have a slice of pie for breakfast-something I'd feel awkward doing myself as I'm allegedly so grown up. This week's cake will surely make a fine breakfast tomorrow morning with a cold glass of milk and a banana.

I'm now so good at making genoise that I can have one in the oven in less than half an hour (provided I have clarified butter on hand, which I usually do). It is a skill worth learning, as it is the base for so many interesting desserts from petit fours to baked Alaska.

The apricot filling was completely improvised as I had fresh apricots on hand. The recipe made quite a bit and I used half a cup of it to make a wonderful ice cream. Certainly, you could enjoy it on toast (or for dipping your animal crackers).

The frosting was a basic buttercream with the addition of four tablespoons of honey, which I think is a nice compliment to apricots. A bit sweet, but as the genoise is rather plain I felt the extra sweetness was called for.

As with most of the recipes I post here, nothing is etched in stone except perhaps for the proportions in the genoise. You may find kirsch or brandy a nice addition to your apricot filling, or finely diced crystalised ginger. I'd avoid vanilla though as I suspect it would overwhelm the delicate apricot flavour and fragrance.

You Will Need:

(For the Genoise)
7 eggs at room temperature
1-cup caster sugar
1-¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup clarified butter in liquid state, but cooled

Break up the eggs in the sugar and heat in a double boiler over simmering water taking care that the bowl does not touch the water (you don't want to cook the eggs). Heat until warm to the touch, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and with an electric hand mixer, beat on high speed for 15 minutes until it triples in bulk. Add the flour alternating with the clarified butter in very small amounts (a couple tablespoons of flour at a time gently folded but making sure to get everything off the bottom of the bowl). Pour into 2 9 inch pans that have been buttered and lightly floured and bake at 350 degrees f. for 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Cool on racks.

For the Filling:

2 cups caster sugar
1-cup water
12 apricots, peeled and chopped
1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook the apricots in simmering syrup for about 20 minutes. The syrup should reduce and the apricots break down. You can gently mash them with a potato masher if they are still solid. At this point, remove from heat and add any liquor or flavorings. Remove about ½ cup of the liquid and cool slightly. Slowly in small amounts, dissolve the cornstarch in it and add to the syrup. Do this slowly as you don't want lumps. How much you add will depend on how thick a filling you like. I prefer mine slightly liquid as it thickens considerably as it cools. If you keep it thin it can be used to make ice cream, or as a topping. I'd even consider straining it as mixing it with seltzer water for a nice summertime drink. At any rate, it is always easier to add cornstarch than to thin it back down.

For the frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter
4 tablespoons honey
2-3 cups confectioner's sugar

Blend the butter and honey and add enough sugar to make a spreading consistency. If you mess-up, it can be thinned with milk or cream.

Assemble once layers are cool and decorate as desired. Bring to room temperature before serving (unless it is 100 degrees in the room).