Makes: 16 slices; Prep: 15 mins; Cook: 1 ¼ hours; Cals per slice: 254
Ingredients: 225g (8oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped; 75g (3oz) almonds, chopped; 250g (9oz) plain flour; pinch of salt; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 90g (3 ½ oz) butter; 200g (7oz) caster sugar; 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; finely grated rind of 1 orange; ½ tsp orange flower water; 100ml (4 fl oz) milk. Syrup: juice of 1 orange; 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- Mix apricots, almonds and 45ml (3 tbsp) flour. Sieve remaining flour with salt and bicarbonate of soda.
- Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, orange rind and orange flower water.
- Gently fold in alternating spoonfuls of flour, milk and apricot mixture until evenly mixed. Spoon into a greased and lined 1 kg (2lb) loaf tin. Bake for 1 ¼ hours.
- For syrup, gently heat juice and sugar until sugar dissolves. Boil for 2 minutes. Pierce cake in several places with a fine skewer and spoon over hot syrup. Leave to cool in tin.
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