Apricot Brandy Cake

I love this cake, but in all fairness, that’s not saying that much — I love a lot of cakes.

But my mom on the other hand, she’s not really in to sweets. She eats her cake and leaves the icing (that’s more for people like me, I say). One time, circa 2005, I gave her a sip of my frozen Krispy Kreme beverage that was flavored like one of their Original Glazed doughnuts. She said it tasted like a candle.

And yet, my mom loves this cake. It’s a cake that transcends dessert (or breakfast, or mid-morning snack) preferences.

Of course, I can’t take the credit. My grandmother has been making this cake for years and shared the recipe with me about the same time she gave me my Kitchen Aid Stand mixer. (Which, really isn’t a coincidence — this cake is a whole lot easier to make with stand mixer.)

So, let’s get to it!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray. Put a pan of water on the lower rack of the oven.

Add the following to large mixing bowl, beating as you go:

2 sticks margarine

3 cups sugar

6 eggs (beat after each)

3 cups flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon rum extract

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 teaspoon butter extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sour cream

½ cup apricot brandy

Beat well. The longer you beat it and let the many ingredients mix together, the better! Bake about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Dump pan about 5-10 minutes after removing from oven. Cool completely before serving. (And, it gets better the longer it sits! This cake is actually better 2-3 days later than on the first day.)