Apricot cake with pecan crunch topping

9
Points®
Total Time
55 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Serves
20
Difficulty
Moderate
This is a beautiful, showstopper of a cake that will soon become a go-to favorite if you're an apricot and pecan lover. The cake is easy to make and is also flavored with a delightful combination of brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and apple butter. When you're making this recipe, here's a tip: Lightly spraying a knife with nonstick spray before chopping dried fruits, such as apricots and dates, prevents the fruits from sticking to the knife. Or if you prefer to “chop” dried fruits with kitchen scissors, the blades can also be sprayed with nonstick spray. It'll make the chopping a lot easier for you!

Ingredients

Chopped pecans

¼ cup(s)

All-purpose flour

3 Tbsp

Packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp

Canola oil

2 Tbsp

Ground cinnamon

½ tsp

All-purpose flour

2 cup(s)

Baking powder

2 tsp

Ground cinnamon

1 tsp

Baking soda

½ tsp

Egg

3 large egg(s)

Packed brown sugar

1 cup(s)

Apple butter

1 cup(s)

Canola oil

cup(s)

Vanilla extract

1 tsp

Dried apricot halves

4 oz, finely chopped

Dried dates

4 oz, pitted variety, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing the foil to extend over the rim of the pan by 2 inches. Spray with nonstick spray.
  2. To make the topping, stir together the topping ingredients in a small bowl until moistened; set aside.
  3. To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggs in a large bowl until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Beat in the apple butter, oil, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the apricots and dates.
  4. Pour the batter into the pan; sprinkle evenly with the topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 – 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack. Lift out using the foil as handles. Yields 1⁄20 of cake per serving.