Apricot Orange Coffee Cakecooks Illustrated Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly butter an 11x8-inch glass baking dish.
• 2. Beat the butter in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (don't be concerned if the mixture looks slightly curdled). Beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and stir into the batter, then stir in the lemon juice and zest.
• 3. Spread evenly in the pan. Arrange the apricots over the batter, cutting them into halves or quarters if necessary to give the cake a uniform appearance. (There are often apricots of different sizes in the same can.) Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before serving.
• 4. To serve, sift confectioners' sugar over the cake and cut into squares.
• Make Ahead.
• The cake can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered with plastic wrap, and served at room temperature.

Steps:

• CAKE: Set a rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Grease an 18"x 13" rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment paper too.
• Shred four carrots on the large holes of a box grater or using the shedding disk and your food processor.
• In a medium bowl, add together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Whisk together until combined.
• In another large bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine until smooth. Gently stir in carrots and currants with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Finally, add in flour mixture and fold in with your rubber spatula, but only until it is just combined.
• Empty batter onto baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to smooth surface and ensure the batter is an even depth. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating half-way through baking, until the center is firm when touched.
• Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes in pan set on a wire rack. Flip the cake onto a wire rack then immediately re-flip back onto a second wire rack. The cake should be resting with the parchment side down. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes.
• FROSTING: While the cake is cooking, toast your pecans and chop them coarsely. Cut your cream cheese into 12 equal-size pieces, but keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use in step 3.
• Add the butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix using the paddle attachment on low-speed for 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl as necessary.
• Increase mixer speed to medium-low, then add cream cheese one piece at a time. Mix for 2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.
• ASSEMBLY: Put cooled cake on a cutting board and cut into equal halves cross-wise. Cut length-wise so that you have 4 equal pieces, measuring about 6″x8″ each.
• Cut out a 6″x8″ rectangle out of stiff cardboard. Put the first of the cake piece on the cardboard. Use a spatula to spread 2/3-cup of frosting over layer. Repeat with two more layers.
• Place the final cake layer on top. Remove any crumbs from your spatula and frost the top with a 1-cup of frosting.
• Frost the sides of the cake with your remaining frosting. You just need enough frosting to hold the chopped pecans, not completely hide all the crumbs.
• Holding the cake with one hand, use your other hand to gently press the chopped pecans onto the side of your cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Soak apricots in warm water to cover for 30 minutes; drain well and cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
• Combine the apricot pieces and pecans; dredge with 1/4 cup flour and set aside.
• Combine sugar and butter, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Sift the 2 cups flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
• Combine orange juice and water. Add flour mixture and orange juice mixture alternately to creamed ingredients, mixing lightly after each addition. Stir in apricots and pecans.
• Spoon batter into wax paper-lined and greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr or until tests done.