Apricot Pumpkin Cake Food

GOLDEN PUMPKIN AND APRICOT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Dust pans with flour. Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Blend Apricot Puree, pumpkin and buttermilk in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes (cakes will not rise to tops of pans).
• For Frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Add Apricot Puree, pumpkin and spices and beat until blended. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn out cakes. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake. Garnish with dried apricot cutouts, if desired. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

APRICOT-FILLED PUMPKIN CAKE WITH BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with shortening or cooking spray; lightly flour. (Do not use dark or nonstick pan.)
• In small bowl, mix all filling ingredients except apricots with fork until fine crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped apricots; set aside.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended.
• Spread 3 cups of the batter in pan. With back of spoon, make 1/2-inch-deep tunnel in middle of batter. Spoon filling into tunnel, making sure filling does not touch side of pan. Top with remaining batter, making sure batter layer touches side of pan.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light golden brown; cool slightly. Stir in powdered sugar. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the milk until smooth. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency. Spoon frosting over cake, letting some run down sides of cake. Garnish with 1/4 cup chopped apricots.

APRICOT AND CINNAMON CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 170c. Butter and base line a cake tin.
• Combine the flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar and apricots. Mix the honey and milk together and add to the dry mixture with the eggs. Mix well with a metal or wooden spoon.
• Spoon into cake tin.
• Bake for 1hour 20min until firm to touch, turn onto wire rack, while warm glaze with honey then glaze again while cooling.

APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little of the butter to grease a 9-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom. Dust the pan with a little of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Cream the remaining butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture and the vanilla.
• Spread the batter in the baking pan. Arrange the apricot slices on the top. Put in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the top of the cake looks fairly firm and is just beginning to brown.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar, return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cake is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Serve the cake while it is still warm, with creme fraiche, whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.

APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping: Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the brown sugary mix in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
• Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Arrange the apricots, flesh-side down, evenly over the bottom of the pan.
• Prepare the cake batter: Add the flour to a medium bowl. Sift in the almond flour, then use your fingertips to break up any clumps that don't fit through the sieve. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine.
• In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium until combined and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk, mixing to combine. Continue alternating the additions of flour and milk and mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl, just until all is combined. (Make sure not to overmix during this step.)
• Spread the batter in an even layer over the apricot halves. Bake until the cake is set and doesn't jiggle when shaken, is golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Remove pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. With the cake still in the pan, turn the pan over onto a serving platter. Wait 1 minute, then remove the pan. This cake is excellent warm, but it's also delicious at room temperature.

APRICOT, ALMOND & POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 20-23cm round cake tin. If it has a loose bottom, you will need to wrap the outside with foil to prevent any of the caramel from leaking. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the apricots, put the granulated sugar and 75ml water into a saucepan. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved. When the sugar has melted, bring to the boil and watch the syrup until it starts to turn to a deep amber colour. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir until it has melted. Pour into the tin, then lay the apricots in it, cut-side down.
• For the cake, beat together the butter and sugar until light with an electric whisk. Add the egg a little at a time, then the zest and almond extract. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then fold them gradually into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Spoon this over the apricots and bake for 50 mins. To test it's baked, push a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool for 15 mins, then run a knife in-between the cake and the inside of the tin and invert it onto a plate. If any of the apricot halves get left behind in the tin carefully scoop them up - trying to keep their shape intact and not squash them too much - and put them back, cut-side up, on the cake. Leave the cake to cool, or serve warm if you want.
• Heat the apricot jam with 2 tbsp of water. Once the jam has dissolved, push it through a sieve to remove the bits of apricot. Leave it to cool a little - otherwise it overcooks the apricots, which should be perfectly cooked and not collapsing - then paint the jam thickly on the top of the cake. Leave this to set a little, then serve with crème fraîche or cream, if you like.

HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined. Stir in the pumpkin. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 mins, or until golden and springy to the touch.
• To make the frosting, beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge. When the cake is done, cool for 5 mins then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
• If you like, trim the edges of the cake. Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls. If you're making the cake ahead, keep it in the fridge then take out as many pieces as you want 30 mins or so before serving. Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.

CHICKEN WITH SUGAR PUMPKINS & APRICOTS

Steps:

• Place pumpkin in a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray., In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken thighs on all sides. Transfer chicken to slow cooker. In same skillet, saute onion and garlic 1-2 minutes; transfer to slow cooker., Add next eight ingredients to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 4-5 hours. Top with parsley. If desired, serve with hot cooked rice and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

UPSIDE-DOWN STICKY APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Tip the sugar into a deep, ovenproof frying pan. Place over a high heat until caramelised, remove from the heat, then lay the apricots, cut side down, in the caramel, quartering some of the apricots to fit into the gaps. Set aside. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• To make the cake batter, use an electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the milk and saffron, if using. Fold in the flours and ground almonds, then beat until combined.
• Spoon dollops of the batter over the apricots and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40 mins until puffed up and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10 mins. Invert the cake onto a plate and leave to cool. Cut into wedges. Serve with crème fraîche, if you like.

APRICOT BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a 23cm-deep cake tin (preferably not loose-based, see tip below) and line the base with silicone or baking parchment. Mix the topping ingredients and spread over the base of the tin.
• Mix the milk and vanilla together. Put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk with a tabletop or hand electric mixer until the mixture is thick, pale and increased in volume, about 5 mins. Test it is ready by lifting the whisk blades - if the mixture briefly leaves a trail, you are ready to proceed.
• Add one-third of the flour and whisk slowly to incorporate, then one-third of the milk and mix again. Repeat twice more until all the flour and milk is added. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.
• Halve and stone the apricots. Place, cut-side down, in the base of the tin. Pour the cake batter over the top and slide into the oven. Bake for 1-1¼ hrs until the cake is firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Cool the cake in the tin for 20 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, peel off the lining paper and serve warm or cold.

ORANGE & APRICOT LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. In a saucepan, heat the apricots with the orange zest and all but 1 tbsp of the juice. Simmer gently for 5 mins until the apricots have absorbed all the juice. Set aside to cool.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Stir in the cooled apricots. If the mixture is dry at this stage, add a drop of milk.
• Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing, then leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Gradually add the reserved orange juice to the icing sugar, stirring until smooth and slightly runny. Drizzle the icing in a zigzag pattern over the top of the cake and leave to set.