APRICOT HONEY CAKE

Apricot Honey Cake image

Provided by Joan Nathan

Yield Makes 1 Cake

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dark rum
2 large eggs
1 cup clover honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
Grated peel and juice of 1 orange
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup apricot jam
1 3/4 cups white rye or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cake or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup slivered almonds, or roughly chopped walnuts or cashews

Steps:

In a small bowl, soak the apricots in the rum for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 10- by 5-inch loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Stir in the honey, vegetable oil, grated lemon and orange rind and juice, sugar, salt, and apricot jam.
Sift the 2 flours and the baking soda into another bowl.
Strain the apricots, reserving the excess rum.
Add the flour alternately with the rum to the honey cake mixture. Fold in the apricots. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the nuts.
Bake in the oven on the lower rack for 50-55 minutes, or until the center of the cake is firm when you pres sit. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.