Recipe: Apricot Walnut Loaf Cake

APRICOT WALNUT LOAF CAKE

1 large egg
8 ounces dried apricots, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sifted cake flour (sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces
Powdered sugar (for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use baking spray to spritz a shiny 9-by-5-inch shiny aluminum loaf pan and the shiny side of a piece of foil large enough to cover the pan. Set foil aside.

Place unbroken egg in a bowl of hot tap water (to warm egg). Heat apricots and 1 cup water in a small saucepan until fruit is plumped. Let cool. Drain apricots, reserving 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Add reserved liquid to orange juice; set aside.

Beat butter until light, then add granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add dry ingredients in three parts and juice mixture in two parts, mixing just until moistened. Fold in drained apricots and nuts. Pour batter into pan; lay foil, shiny side down, loosely over top.

Bake on the center oven rack for 25 minutes. Quickly remove foil; bake until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes longer. Let cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on the rack. Wrap in plastic wrap to store.

Before serving, sprinkle top with powdered sugar and cut into slices.

Servings: 10
Adapted from source: Cakes From Scratch in Half the Time: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake Cakes Forever by Linda West Eckhardt