Brandied Apricot Ribbon:
8 ounces dried apricots
1/2 cup apricot brandy
Pound Cake Batter:
1 cup butter
1 (8-ounce) can almond paste
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup apricot brandy
1 teaspoon orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Apricot Brandy Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup apricot brandy
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan. Set aside.
Place apricots and 1/2 cup brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the brandy to a boil. Cover saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Measure apricot brandy, orange liqueur, rum flavoring, almond extract and vanilla into a small bowl. Into another bowl, sift flour with baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and almond paste together until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. As one egg becomes incorporated into the batter, add the next egg. Add sour cream and blend. Add dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternately in small amounts, beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with dry ingredients.
Puree cooled apricots and brandy in food processor until smooth.
In another mixing bowl, combine the apricot puree with 1 3/4 cups of the cake batter. Blend well.
Spoon apricot batter over the almond paste cake batter. Use a rubber spatula to fold the apricot mixture into the batter, just enough to marble. Do not over-mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour. Check cake with a wooden pick. If there is batter on the pick when you remove it from the cake, bake for another five mintues. Continue this process until cake tests done. Do not overbake the cake.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, sift 2 cups of powderd sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk in brandy and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Add remaining tablespoon of milk or cream to make a thick glaze. Spoon glaze over the top of the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Cake may be stored, covered, at room temperature for a few days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.
- Recipe courtesy of Sue Doeden