Australian Apricot Pound Cake

Dried fruit adds an intense flavour to this cake and the cooked apples make it beautifully moist. Serve with whipped cream for an extra treat.

Recipe provided by:

Readers Digest | Baking With Love

 

Ingredients

300 g (1 2/3 cups) dried apricots, chopped

200 g (3/4 cup) unsweetened puréed cooked apple

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil

60 ml (1/4 cup) buttermilk

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

350 g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar

425 g (3 1/2 cups) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Preparation method

 

1.		Use a 23-cm round tin. Lightly grease tin and line with baking (parchment) paper. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2.		Place 60 g (1/3 cup) dried apricots, all the apple purée and 120 ml (1/2 cup) water in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the apricots have softened. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the butter, oil and buttermilk and process until smooth. Leave the mixture to cool slightly, then add the eggs, vanilla essence and orange zest, blending just until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the sugar.

3.		Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the apricot mixture in 3 batches. Fold in remaining apricots; place mixture in prepared tin.
4.		Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.