Apricot fruit cake

Babiche Martens

This apricot cake has cropped up at many special events in our family over the years, including when my mother made it for my wedding and my sister’s 21st. It’s always lovely and moist because of the apricots being soaked overnight and delicious thanks to the subtle hint of orange zest. The nuts on top can be replaced with icing for a wedding. This cake can be made well in advance.

For the cake

700 g	Dried apricots, chopped roughly (Main)
150 g	Butter
150 g	Sugar
3	Eggs
100 g	Ground almonds
150 g	Flour
½	Oranges, zest only
½ tsp	Baking powder
2 Tbsp	Slivered almonds, to decorate

For the syrup

½ cup	Orange juice
½ cup	Sugar
¼ cup	Brandy, optional

Directions

1. Place the apricots in a bowl of warm water and soak overnight or for at least 2 hours. Then drain. Preheat an oven to 160C. Line a 20cm tin with baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Fold through the almonds, flour, zest, baking powder and apricots. Spoon into the tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle over slivered almonds.
3. Bake in the oven for 1¼ hours or until a skewer comes out just clean. Cool in the tin.
4. To make the syrup bring the orange juice and sugar to the boil in a small pot for 4 minutes. Add the brandy then cool.
5. Poke holes in the cake and spoon over the syrup. Leave for a day before eating (if you can resist).

More family-favourite baking from Angela

• Rice bubble biscuits
• Cheese and olive biscuits