I had bought some apricot brandy to try out a few cocktails with. I’m not a huge brandy fan, but it does have a nice flavor I think better suited for cooking with for me. This recipe knocks it out of the ballpark! Hubby said the cake is heavy, but I thought it was perfect it was lighter and more moist than what I’m used to in pound cakes. We all have loved eating on it. Not going to lie, I might have had a slice with a cup of coffee before everyone got up!
Apricot Brandy Pound Cake
(Adapted from Chef Lindsey Farr)
2 sticks butter, unsalted
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup apricot brandy (you can also use apricot flavored brandy if you must)
Preheat oven to 325°
Grease tube pan, Bundt pan or loaf pans with butter and then coat with flour.
Sift together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add flour to butter mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each addition.
Stir together extracts, sour cream and brandy.
Add to cake batter and mix well.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-90 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with very few crumbs attached. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Apricot Brandy Icing
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
¾ – 1 teaspoon apricot brandy
2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream (or enough to make the icing your desired consistency.
Stir together all ingredients. Add milk slowly until you reach the desired consistency. The icing will firm up, so I recommend icing as quickly as possible to avoid awkward dribbles.
After the cake is completely cooled, drizzle or pour the icing over the cake.
