Apricot, Pecan and Chocolate Chip Loaf
June 25, 2006 at 7:53 PM
by Ashleigh
Apricot, Pecan and Chocolate Chip Loaf (c) Good Food magazine July 2006Apricot, Pecan and Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Cuts into 12 slices
Prep 20 minutes, cook 40 - 60 minutes
100g/4 oz ready to eat dried apricots
150 ml /1/4 pint unsweetened orange juice
100g/4 oz softened butter (I use that fluid margarine)
100g/4 oz light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
100g/4oz ground almonds
175g/6oz self-raising flour (or cake flour to which 2 tsp baking powder has been added which is what I did)
3 tbsp milk (I used a bit more)
50g/2 oz choc chips
85g/3 oz pecan halves (not included in my version)
icing sugar for dusting
- Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Spray and line the base of a 1.2 litre loaf tin. Chop the apricots and simmer in a small pan with the orange juice for five minutes. Allow to cool. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, almonds, flour and milk in a bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in the apricots, the choc chips and two thirds of the pecans.
- Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining pecans over and bake for 50 - 60 minutes until firm to the touch and a toothpick pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for a few minutes and then turn out onto a plate and dust with icing sugar. Leave to cool completely then wrap tightly in foil. Keeps for a week or can be frozen for up to two months.
The cake tastes nice, not too sweet and the chocolate gives a good contrast in flavour.
Be careful to let the apricot mixture cool enough before you mix it in, or be very quick to get it into the oven as it starts to cook the cake mixture if its too hot!
I made this cake this afternoon, but we're all a bit too full from dinner to really do it justice :)
Comments
This just looks sinfully good. It may even inspire me to make an extra trip to the supermarket tomorrow so I can bake it....
How's everything??
Who can argue with more apricots, less pecans?
Fantastic food, lovely pictures of the boys BUT where is your stitching?!?!
Neil, more apricots and less pecans is always a good thing ;)
Barbara, I'm sick again with a chest infection - yuck! How long til you visit the US?
Constantina, I don't know what happened to the stitching. It seems to be in a slump!
Lelia, you should try my Lemon Poundcake recipe before you try this one - I think this one is a bit too adult in flavour for the kids. They didn't like it at all!
Oh, you're killing me with that beautiful food! I'm on a serious diet and there is no way I could justify that (or eat just one piece of it). Maybe I could convince my husband to quickly eat the rest, or I could give it away to neighbors....
Oh yummy!! I'll have some right now with my tea ; D
i rarely bake. This looks delicious.
June 26, 2006 2:43 PM