Rustic Loaf Cake with Apricots, Almonds, and Pistachios
Makes 1 loaf
A rustic loaf cake hits just the right note for something to serve friends outside on a spring afternoon.
Dried apricots, almonds, and pistachios give the cake a pretty, but coarse, texture. Let a food processor do the first part of the work for you. Grind the pistachios and almonds with sugar and orange rind until they are not quite fine, then add apricots to the work bowl and pulse the mixture until they're in small pieces. Finally add butter slices and work them until they blend in. Turn it all into a bowl and add eggs, olive oil, milk, and flour. This is a casual cake that does not involve laborious techniques. Hallelujah! The cake takes over an hour to bake, but check it after 55 minutes and cover it loosely with foil if it browns too much before the center is cooked through. Wrap the cake in foil and store it for several days, if you like. Just enough time to plan a spring picnic.
Canola or vegetable oil (for the pan)
½ cup (2½ ounces) whole shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
½ cup (2½ ounces) whole unskinned almonds
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup (6 ounces) dried apricots 4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into slices 3 eggs
6 tablespoons mild olive oil,
canola oil, or vegetable oil ¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1½cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped
pistachio nuts (for sprinkling) 1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
Lightly oil an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom and 2 long sides with parchment paper cut to fit it, leaving a 1-inch overhang.
2. In a food processor, combine the whole pistachio nuts, almonds, sugar, salt, and orange rind. Pulse the mixture until the nuts are somewhere between finely and coarsely ground. It should look like coarse sand with a tiny bits of nuts.
3. Add the apricots and pulse to chop them into small pieces. Add the butter slices and pulse until they are incorporated. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Make a large well in the center of the mixture. Add the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla to the well and beat with a fork until the eggs and liquids are combined. Continue to stir with a fork to incorporate the liquid into the fruit and nuts.
5. With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour and baking powder until the batter is evenly combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle the pistachios in a line down the center.
7. Bake for 55 minutes. Cover the loaf loosely with foil to prevent it from over-browning. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Total baking time is 70 to 75 minutes.)
8. Set the pan on a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the loaf out of the pan. Remove and discard the paper. Set the cake on a rack to cool completely. Cut into slices.