Name: Apricot cake with mascarpone and quark: delicate, fresh and effortlessly ready
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 70 g granulated sugar; 50 ml vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 120 g plain flour; 450 g apricots (pitted, cut into smaller pieces); 450 g mascarpone; 450 g full-fat quark or cream cheese (Lučina, Philadelphia); finely grated zest of 1 lemon (ideally organic); 60 ml orange juice; 120 g powdered sugar; dark chocolate for fine grating

Preparation procedure

Base Preheat the oven to 170 °C (top/bottom heat). Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then mix in the oil. Stir the flour with the baking powder and fold into the egg mixture. Spread the batter into a tin lined with baking paper and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool completely.
Cream Wash, pit and chop the apricots. In a bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the quark, powdered sugar, lemon zest and orange juice until smooth.
Assembly Evenly spread the apricots over the cooled base, top with the cream and smooth.
Chilling and serving Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (better overnight). Before serving, you can sprinkle with grated dark chocolate and cut into slices.

Servings: 12 pieces

Total time: 2 hr 35 min (active 10 min • baking 15 min • chilling min. 2 hr)

Pan: 18 × 28 cm

Tips for best results

You can substitute apricots with peaches, nectarines or raspberries.
The cream will remain beautifully smooth if all ingredients are chilled.
For a hint of “cheesecake” flavor, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste to the cream.

Conclusion

The apricot cake with mascarpone and quark is exactly the dessert that will save any summer gathering. It looks festive, yet is ready without long waiting by the oven – just briefly bake the base and let the fridge do the rest. Chilled it tastes best and always disappears from the table first.