Walnut Apricot Cake In Honey Syrup Food

WALNUT APRICOT BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Place apricots in a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Let steep 10 to 15 minutes. Place a strainer over a bowl and drain apricots. Measure out 1/2 cup of the soaking water and set aside (discard the rest). Cut apricots into 1/4-inch pieces.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a Bundt pan and lightly dust with flour. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. In another large bowl beat together eggs, buttermilk, soaking water from the apricots, melted butter, honey, vanilla and optional orange flower water.
• If using a stand mixer, fit with the paddle and beat at low speed for about 30 seconds, then add liquids and beat for about 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Stop machine, scrape bottom of bowl with a spatula to bring up any unmixed flour, and beat for another minute on low speed. If using a bowl and whisk, whisk together dry ingredients, then whisk in wet ingredients until smooth. The mixture should be thick and, in the perfect words of Peter Reinhart, "soupy." Stir in apricots and walnuts.
• Scrape batter into prepared Bundt pan and place in oven. Set timer for 45 minutes. Rotate pan 180 degrees and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes, until cake is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Remove from oven and allow to rest in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack and allow to cool completely.

HONEY-SOAKED WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine honey and water, and heat over medium heat until the honey dissolves.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in liqueur.
• Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Brush a 9-inch tube pan with melted butter and dust with flour,set aside.
• Beat eggs until light and fluffy, add sugar, remaining melted butter, and orange rind and mix until creamy.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and walnuts in a large bowl.
• Add the egg and sugar mixture to the bowl,beat thoroughly and fold in the yogurt.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a cake taster comes out clean.
• Remove cake from oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
• Using a tooth pick, poke holes in the top of the cake.
• Spoon the cooled syrup over the cake and let it stand for at least 3 hours before serving.

APRICOT HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak the apricots in the rum for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 10- by 5-inch loaf pan.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Stir in the honey, vegetable oil, grated lemon and orange rind and juice, sugar, salt, and apricot jam.
• Sift the 2 flours and the baking soda into another bowl.
• Strain the apricots, reserving the excess rum.
• Add the flour alternately with the rum to the honey cake mixture. Fold in the apricots. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the nuts.
• Bake in the oven on the lower rack for 50-55 minutes, or until the center of the cake is firm when you pres sit. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

WALNUT-APRICOT POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spray 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap foil around bottom of pan to prevent leaking.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, 1 1/4 cups butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on high speed 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with milk and 1/2 cup apricot nectar.
• Set aside 2 tablespoons of the apricots for topping along with 1/4 cup of the walnuts. Stir remaining apricots and walnuts into batter. Spread in pan.
• Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Using whisk, mix in 4 to 6 teaspoons apricot nectar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and consistency of thick syrup. Drizzle glaze over top of cake; spread with spatula or back of spoon, letting some glaze drizzle down side. Sprinkle reserved apricots and walnuts on top of cake.

APRICOT YOGURT CAKE WITH ORANGE HONEY SYRUP

Steps:

• Let the yogurt drain in a fine sieve set over a bowl, covered and chilled, overnight and measure out 1 cup of the drained yogurt, reserving the remaining yogurt for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Into another bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and a pinch of salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the 1 cup drained yogurt, beating until the mixture is just combined. Add the flour mixture, beat the batter until it is just combined, and stir in the apricots and the walnuts.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out with a few crumbs adhering to it. Put the cake in the pan on a rack set over foil, pour the orange honey syrup over it, and let the cake absorb the syrup. The cake may be made 2 days in advance and kept in the pan covered with plastic wrap and foil and chilled. Remove the side of the pan and garnish the cake with the mint sprigs.

WALNUT-APRICOT CAKE IN HONEY SYRUP

Steps:

• Bring apricots and orange juice to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat, cover, and let soften 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer apricots to processor and chop coarsely. Reserve juice in saucepan.
• Combine honey, 1/2 cup water, and orange peel in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until syrup coats spoon, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove orange peel and reserve. Add lemon juice and reserved orange juice to syrup. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Brush 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with 1 tablespoon butter. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks, sugar, and salt in large bowl until pale and thick. Stir in farina, walnuts, 5 tablespoons melted butter, and apricots.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions; transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Immediately pour all of syrup over cake in pan. Cover pan loosely with foil; let cake stand until cool. Turn out cake and syrup onto platter. Garnish with reserved orange peel.