Countless numbers of us, on a daily basis, are faced with the challenge of filling multiple roles. We must be spouses, parents, professionals, etc., and still find time and energy after all that to be health-conscious individuals! Life shouldn't be an exhausting struggle, it should be a collection of one enjoyable, memorable, fulfilling, experience after another, should it not? I mean, pardon the cliché, but life's too short to let it be anything else.

I am a self-proclaimed food hobbyist on a quest to find delicious, healthy, fast, easy-to-make recipes and to successfully make those food adjectives actually belong together in a sentence. I am looking for after work meals that don't come out of a can, that I can enjoy preparing after a long work day, that my family will enjoy eating, and that will allow me to rest assured knowing that we are eating healthy. When I find these meals, I wish to share them with others. Cheers :)

Showing posts with label apricot cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apricot cake. Show all posts

Friday, March 26, 2010

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!