Apricot Pudding Recipe

225 g/8 oz/1 cup butter or margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing

225 g/8 oz/1 cup light brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten
2.5 ml/0.5 tsp almond essence (extract)

100 g/4 oz/1 cup ground almonds

225 g/8 oz/2 cups self-raising (self-rising) flour
2.5 ml/0.5 tsp baking powder
100 g/4 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
30 ml/2 tbsp flaked (slivered) almonds

15 ml/1 tbsp demerara sugar
Classic Custard Sauce, to serve

Method:

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in half the egg and the almond essence, then the ground almonds, then the remaining egg. Sift the flour and baking powder over the surface and scatter the apricots over. Fold in with a metal spoon. Turn into a greased and lined 18 cm/7 in square cake tin (pan). Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and the flaked almonds. Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 for about 2 hours or until the center springs back when lightly pressed and the cake is shrinking from the sides of the tin. Turn out, remove the paper and serve warm with Classic Custard Sauce.