Apricot Fruitcake Recipes

APRICOT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch tube pans.
• In a saucepan over medium heat cook apricots in the water until they are mushy. Press them through a sieve and let them cool.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until lemony colored. Then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
• Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg yolks and the apricots, and mix thoroughly.
• Combine the raisins, candied cherries, candied pineapple, and mixed dried fruits in a bowl coated with one cup of the flour.
• Combine the remaining flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this flour mixture alternately to the creamed mixture with the apricot juice. Blend this batter into the mixed fruits. Add the chopped pecans or walnuts and fold in the beaten egg whites. Turn the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 2 hours. Garnish cakes with candied pineapples and cherries. Makes about 24 servings.

APRICOT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the fruits, nuts, honey, water and lemon juice; set aside. , In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Fold into fruit mixture. Combine dry ingredients; gradually fold into the fruit mixture until evenly coated. Pour into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9x5-in. loaf pans. , With a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven, bake at 275° for 2-1/2 hours or until cake tests done. Cover with foil during the last 30 minutes. , Cool 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Remove waxed paper and wrap each cake in foil. Place in plastic bags and store in a cool, dry place.

FRUITCAKE WITH APRICOT BUTTER ICING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin with a little bit of the butter, then line with greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Wrap a couple of sheets of newspaper around the outside of the tin, then secure with string.
• In a food processor, whizz the almonds with the flour until the mix resembles crumbs. Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then fold in the flour and almonds, dried fruit and brandy. Scrape into the tin, level the surface and bake for 1 hr 15 mins, until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
• When the cake is completely cold, make the icing quickly by beating the butter, jam and icing sugar until pale. Don't allow the butter to get too warm or overbeat as the icing might split. Swirl all over the cake, then leave in a cool place to set (but not the fridge).

APRICOT AND MACADAMIA FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300. Grease and lightly flour six 1-cup molds or one 9x5x3 loaf pan.
• In a small saucepan bring 1/2 cup apricot nectar just to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in apricots and raisins. Cover and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl whip butter then beat in sugar, beating till combined.
• Add eggs one at a time.
• In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup apricot brandy, the 1/4 cup nectar and vanilla.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture and nectar mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Fold soaked fruit and chopped nuts into batter. Spread into prepared pan.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes for small pans or 70 minutes for the loaf pan. Cool cake in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Poke holes into cake using a pick or skewer. Soak the cotton cheesecloth with the remaining 1/2 cup apricot brandy, wrap the cake and drizzle any remaining brandy over the cake. Wrap tightly in foil.
• Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Drizzle with the remaining 1/3 cup nectar after 24 hours.
• For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months.

APRICOT & ALMOND FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas and sherry and set aside for 1 hr to soak.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep, 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin, and line the base and sides with a double layer of baking parchment that comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin. In your largest mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, and the ground and flaked almonds. Next, add the soaked sultanas with any remaining sherry, the dried apricots, the mixed peel, and all the zest and juice. Scrape into the cake tin, smoothing out the surface.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hr 25 mins. Poke with a skewer in the centre to check it is cooked - if the skewer comes out with any uncooked mixture stuck to it, bake for 10 mins more before checking again. Cool in the tin. Decorated, or wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil, the cake will keep for up to a month.