This wonderful cake comes close to being the cake or your dreams, a fine textured confection that’s a cross between a pound cake and a light sponge cake. The batter is rich with butter and egg yolks, enriched with apricot nectar, lemon zest and whipped whites that give it such a light texture.
It’s one of those old recipes that I came across years ago, down-home baking at its best. Its key ingredient, apricot nectar, is not easily found in stores, most of what’s available being too diluted with water or mixed with other fruit purees.
You can find pure apricot nectar made by the Belgium juice maker, Loóza, available at Whole Foods in the juice aisle. The juice is not as thick as I remember it, but nonetheless adds to the flavor profile of this cake.
Once the cake is done it’s swathed in an apricot nectar and sugar glaze that you pour over the warm cake while still in the pan. Let it cool for one hour in the pan before removing.
Use a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan, which measures 9 ½ inches to 10 inches round. Generously butter the pan and lightly flour it or use a cake spray with flour.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 cup sweet butter, softened
- 2 1/3 cups sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 cups apricot nectar, divided
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Prepare the cake pan with Pam cake spray (with flour) or with softened butter and lightly dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a bowl to use later and the whites to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before you prepare the cake batter. Whites whip better if at room temperature. In a medium-size bowl, whip the whites until stiff but not dry. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter with 2 cups sugar. Beat in the egg yolk. Then beat in 1 cup of the apricot nectar, the lemon rind and vanilla.
- In another bowl measure out the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix with a whisk to combine. Beat, on low, into the creamed mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Fold in the egg whites gently but thoroughly.
- Spoon into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake for about 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- Just before the cake is finished baking prepare the glaze with the 1/3 cup apricot nectar and 1/3 cup sugar, mixing well in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for about 1 minute, stirring.
- Immediately pour over the finished cake. Let the cake rest in the pan until cool. Unmold onto a rack then place on a cake stand with dome. The cake will keep on the counter for several days.