For as long as I can remember, my dad has raved about an Apricot Nectar Cake his Aunt Jean used to make for him. So when he and my stepmom, Lori, visited us in California over Father’s Day weekend, I thought I’d surprise him with his favorite cake.
I found a recipe for it in this Congressional cookbook — given to my great-great-aunt Babe as a Christmas gift from my grandparents in 1987…
… which I acquired several years ago, after Babe passed away. Seeing as we named Eleanora Babe partly after her, I thought it was kind of fun when I opened the cookbook to find this note my grandmother had written to Babe 25 years ago:
Anyway, Apricot Nectar Cake comes from one of those delightfully simple recipes (you start with a mix)…
… and is drizzled with a way-too-easy lemony icing that tastes like Pez candies. Yum.
Without a lot of effort, you turn out this beautiful little cake, perfect for a potluck table or even a brunch spread.
My dad loved it and so did the rest of us. We finished off every last bite in just a few days.
But even that Apricot Nectar Cake was not as sweet a treat as Eleanora, who adores her Poppy and her Yaya. Here are some photos from their visit.
And here’s Eleanora with her daddy on Father’s Day. How sweet are these two?
APRICOT NECTAR CAKE (pdf)
Adapted from The Congressional Club Cookbook, 1987
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 C apricot nectar (it comes in soda-style cans in the juice aisle)
- 1/2 C oil
- 1/2 C sugar
- 4 eggs
Icing:
- 2 C confectioner’s sugar, measured then sifted (to remove any lumps)
- Juice of 2 lemons
Preheat oven to 325. Combine cake mix, apricot nectar, oil, and sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Bake in a large, greased bundt pan for about 1 hour, or until cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then invert the cake and cool on a rack.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice until smooth. While the cake is still warm, drizzle half the icing over the cake. Reserve the remaining icing to drizzle over individual slices as they are served. (That’s how my dad likes it.)
xoxo,
