Apricot Pecan Loaf

I could not find a breakfast pastry I wanted at two different markets.  What's the obsession with raspberries and/or hazelnuts?!  I don't like either.  I decided it was easier to bake something than to find one that was appealing.

I decided first that it would be dried apricots and pecans, because I have both.  A few internet recipes later, I decided on this one from April J Harris.  I made a few changes, but doesn't everyone who tries a new recipe?

I skipped the orange first off, because I didn't have any and wasn't going back to the store.  Instead, the "extract" flavor became soaking the apricots in a bit of amaretto, which I had down for the peach butter.  There's a brief comment in the directions that the batter is thick, so I added some yogurt.  I liked the final moisture content as it went into the pan, so I'm sticking with it.  It did add about 10 minutes to the baking time.

1/2 C (one stick) unsalted butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2-1/2 C flour
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 C buttermilk
*1/4 C plain yogurt
*1/2 C chopped pecans
*1/2 C chopped dried apricots
*1 Tb Amaretto (optional)

1.  Prepare a standard loaf pan by greasing and/or lining with parchment.  I used pan spray followed by a sleeve of parchment, and it came right out.  Preheat oven to 350º.

2.  Start soaking your chopped apricots in Amaretto, if using.  You don't need to soak them at all for this recipe to work.  The alcohol is just flavoring.

3.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat until uniform.

4.  Prepare the wet and dry ingredients.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger.  In a separate container, whisk together buttermilk and yogurt.  Because I was using powdered buttermilk, the solids went in the dry ingredients and the water was mixed with the yogurt.

5.  Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture.  Stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the mixer or bowl.  Add pecans and apricots and stir until evenly distributed.  Try not to over mix, or the loaf will develop air pockets.

6.  Pour batter into loaf pan (or bake as muffins).  Bake 45 minutes, then check for doneness.  I ended up with slightly over an hour, but every oven is different and you don't want the cake to get dry or hard.  My loaf cracked because the oven was too hot when I first put it in and the crust formed before the inside had finished expanding.  That's what I get for trying to do two recipes at the same time.  If your oven is the correct temperature, there should be less cracking.

7.  Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.  If desired, glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and milk or more Amaretto.  You can serve it right away, but this is the kind of cake that benefits from a night in the fridge.  Just wrap it in plastic first.

Makes 1 loaf, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  :)