Apricot Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups (260 grams) dried apricots chopped
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (113 grams/4 ounces) cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
  2. Pour boiling water over apricot pieces in a small bowl. Cool.
  3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
  5. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
  6. Stir in cooled apricots and water.
  7. Pour in flour mixture, and stir until moistened. Turn batter into greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
  8. Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes (mine takes 50-55), or until it tests done. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pan to rack. Cool.

Notes

28 March 2022: This was my first time baking this loaf in the Tea Loaf Pan from King Arthur Baking. The pan is ceramic and measures 12” x 4” x 2½”, giving it the same capacity as a 9” x 5” loaf pan. Recommendations were to reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and to check early because baking time will be less than for the same 9” x 5” loaf. I cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan, and buttered the pan. I baked the loaf at 325°F for 50 minutes, until it reached an internal temperature of around 200°F. I used an offset spatula to release the bread from the sides of the pan, and then let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto the rack.

8 October 2023: Made half of the recipe in two mini loaf pans (one with apricots, one with prunes). Added 1 teaspoon lemon juice powder - may need more because I didn’t really taste it. Baked at 350°F on rack 3 for 28 minutes, rotating pans after about 20 minutes.

10 November 2023: Made one-fourth of the recipe in one mini-loaf pan, as above (although did not add lemon juice powder). Baked as above - 28 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes. Let cool on rack for about 10 minutes before removing.