Ring-shaped foods are symbolic of good luck at New Year's (the rings symbolize the year's coming full circle, and eternity), and so this year, in addition to making the black-eyed peas I make every year, I baked. I pulled out my Bundt pan for cakes and, being me, decided to see what I could come up with using all or mostly whole wheat flour.
Recently, I've been working with Peter Reinhart's impressive new cookbook, "Bread Revolution," which is focused mainly on sprouted wheat flours, with lots of good information about using whole grain flour in baking. By adapting his formulas for 100 percent sprouted whole wheat quick breads and muffins, I was able to make some wonderfully moist, dense but not heavy cakes, substituting whole wheat flour for the sprouted wheat flour.
This honey-sweetened cake, with dried apricots, walnuts and a hint of orange, is just sweet enough to serve for dessert. But my favorite place for it is at the breakfast or brunch table, or with afternoon tea. You can be generous with the slices, as we are here, or you can slice the cake quite thin, which makes it a great way to serve up good luck to a crowd on New Year's Day.
Walnut Apricot Bundt Cake
Time: 2 hours
Yield: 16 generous servings
1/2 cup / 100 grams dried apricots
Boiling water
5 ounces / 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
3 cups / 383 grams whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups / 355 milliliters buttermilk
1/2 cup / 118 milliliters mild honey, such as clover
1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange flower water (optional)
2/3 cup / 75 grams walnuts, coarsely chopped
1. Place apricots in a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Let steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drain apricots, reserving the soaking water. Measure out 1/2 cup/118 milliliters of the soaking water and set aside (discard the rest). Cut apricots into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. While apricots steep, heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a Bundt pan and lightly dust with flour. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
3. In another large bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, reserved soaking water from the apricots, melted butter, honey, vanilla and orange flower water if using.
4. If using a stand mixer, fit with the paddle and beat dry ingredients at low speed for about 30 seconds, then add liquids and beat for about 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Stop machine, scrape bottom of bowl with a spatula to bring up any unmixed flour, and beat for another minute on low speed. If using a bowl and whisk, whisk together dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth. The mixture should be thick and soupy. Stir in apricots and walnuts.
5. Scrape batter into prepared Bundt pan and place in oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then rotate pan 180 degrees and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes, until cake is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Remove from oven and let rest in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack and let cool completely.
Note: The cake keeps for two to three days wrapped well in plastic. It can also be frozen for about six weeks.
© 2014, The New York Times News Service