Apricots are in season. Tarragon is always great.
CAKE is delicious. 

Need we say more? 
NOPE.

A homemade vanilla cake filled with dried apricots and tarragon, layered with sweet almond butter cream, and then delicately frosted to your delight – it’s amazing.

Tarragon Apricot Almond Butter Layer Cake

Tarragon Apricot Cake:
8 Tbs. butter, room temperature + for the pans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups dried apricots, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaf, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter three 6-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk 3 cups flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a bowl until combined. 

Beat butter and sugar in a separate large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 

Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. 

Beat in the vanilla.  

Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, drizzling in the cream, until smooth. Fold in the dried apricots and tarragon.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. 

Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. 

Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long-serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

Almond Butter Cream:
1 cup all-natural almond butter
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar

Cream together all the ingredients until smooth.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Lace Frosting:
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup shortening
1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Cream together all ingredients until super smooth.

Garnish:
fresh apricots
fresh tarragon
Candied Almonds – OMIT the rosemary and lavender

Assembly:

Secure the first layer of cooled cake to a cardboard cake bottom and parchment with a touch of Almond Butter Cream.

Slather the secured layer with plenty of the almondy delight.

Top with the second cake layer.
Slather again.
Top with the final layer of cake.

Chill.

Next, evenly (or rustically) frost with the Vanilla Cream Cheese Lace Frosting, smoothing sides as desired.

Garnish with freshly sliced apricots, tarragon, and candied almonds.