My First Post - Apricot Cake

Ok so here goes, my 1st post, this is mainly a practice run.

I am off tomorrow to St. Catherine's to visit my Great Aunt and Uncle for my Aunt's 80th birthday. I have prepared my aunt and uncle's absolute favorite sweet - apricot cake. The recipe was handed down to me by my dad's sister, and it has become somewhat of a tradition to bring this cake to my dear old uncle whenever we go to visit him.

His eyes light up whenever he sees us coming with a cake can, and my aunt immediately jumps up to put the kettle on because heaven forbid we indulge in this cake without a "nice cup of tea."

Ingredients

1 8oz pkg cream cheese cut into 1" cubes
1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1" cubes
4 eggs
2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
2 cups dried apricots chopped

Preheat oven to 275F

Mix all wet ingredients until well blended. Add sugar and baking powder, mix until blended. Add 1/2 of the flour, mix until blended. Fold in rest of flour, mix with spoon until blended. Add water 1/4 cup at a time, mix with spoon until batter thins enough to use electric mixer again. Add remaining water, mix until well blended. Fold in apricots.

Grease a 10" bundt pan and line with strips of wax paper until surface is covered.

Pour in batter.

Bake at 275F for approximately 1 1/2 - 1 3/4hours. Cake will feel firm in center to touch, and top will be golden brown.

Tip out of pan onto cooling rack, peel off wax paper, let cool, and using a mesh strainer, sprinkle with icing sugar. Tout Fini!! Bon Appetit!! This is really a nice social tea cake, delicious and not too sweet :)

Looking forward to my visit with family!