Apricot Pecan Fruitcake
Instructions:
This light fruitcake has a mellow brandy flavor and is studded with chunks of tangy apricots and buttery pecans. You can make it up to one week ahead, but it’s best to glaze it the day it’s served. 1 pound dried apricot halves (21â„2 cups), cut into 1â„2-inch pieces 2 cups pecans (8 ounces), coarsely chopped, plus 2â„3 cup pecan halves 1 tablespoon plus 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened 11â„4 cups sugar 5 large eggs 1â„2 cup brandy 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1â„3 cup apricot preserves
Makes 24 servings. Prep: 20 minutes plus cooling Bake: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Preheat oven to 325°F and grease 9- to 10-inch tube pan.
- In medium bowl, toss apricots and coarsely chopped pecans with 1 tablespoon flour. In separate medium bowl, with wire whisk, stir remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, brandy, vanilla, and flour mixture; beat until well blended, frequently scraping bowl. Stir apricot mixture into flour mixture.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Arrange pecan halves on top of batter in two concentric circles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Run thin knife around cake to loosen from side and center tube of pan; lift tube to separate cake from pan side.
- Slide knife under cake to separate from bottom of pan. Invert cake onto wire rack and remove center tube. Turn cake, right side up, onto rack to cool completely
- In 1-quart saucepan, heat apricot preserves over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until melted and bubbling. Strain through sieve set over small bowl. With pastry brush, brush cooled cake with preserves. Or wrap cake and refrigerate up to 1 week, then brush with preserves before serving.