Memow’s Love and Apricot Nectar Cake
I wasn’t familiar with this cake until I met my husband’s “Memow.” Yes, you read that correctly..Memow…like MeCOW. My husband was her first grandchild, so like most, he got to name her. He struggled saying “memaw” and so Memow it was!
This cake was a favorite of her family and she was always sure to have one ready on the beautiful vintage glass cake plate when they arrived. When I tried it I thought “this is perfect.” It’s the perfect bite of tart citrus with a sweet glaze on top. The glaze provided a slight crunch against the moist and delicate cake. It was amazing and I was hooked. Being a cook, I HAD to have Memow’s recipe. Well, my MIL very willing bequeathed it to me and that began my journey to making “Memow’s apricot nectar cake.” I have followed that recipe to the letter and yet it still isn’t Memow’s. She is gone now, so I can’t ask, but I imagine, like most great Southern grandmothers, there are some secrets not on that recipe card. Did she use more nectar? More egg? Less lemon juice in the glaze? What was her secret? It was probably the love she had for her family more than anything that made this cake one of a kind!
I may never know the answer to that question, but I will try to continue to provide my family with the amazing, yet simple, cake that evokes memories of laughter and love that filled Memow’s house. I have the recipe and the cake plate, now it will just be practice to perfect this masterpiece! We will always miss Memow, but her love and memories will always be with us as she watches over from heaven.
Here is the recipe I used….today. We will see if Memow would be proud a little later in the day.
Ingredients
Equipment:
- Bundt pan
- Mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients:
-Cake Ingredients
- 1 box of lemon cake mix
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- 1/2 c of sugar
- 1/2 c of sour cream
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 c of apricot nectar
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients
- 2 cups of powered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons of a liquid; water, lemon juice, nectar
Apricot Nectar Cake
Instructions
Cake Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your Bundt pan. I used Place all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl. I use my stand mixer, but a large bowl with electric hand mixer will work fine. Mix on low for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix another 2 minutes until well combined.
- Add the batter to your greased and floured Bundt pan. Give it a little shake to help bubbles surface, making sure the batter is even in the pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester will come out clean when it’s done.
- Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes. This will help the top of the cake continue to get its golden goodness!
- Transfer cake to the wire rack to completely cook. Once cool, place on a cake plate or platter and glaze. I glaze mine the next day to ensure the cake is 100% cooled.
Glaze Directions:
- Mix 2 cups of powered sugar and 2-4 tablespoons of your liquid. I start with 2 tablespoons of apricot nectar. Whisk together. Continue to add liquid, a small amount (teaspoon?) at a time obtain a consistently like honey in your glaze. I used about 2 tablespoons of apricot nectar and 1 1/2 of lemon juice. The glaze is less about measurements and more about the consistency of the glaze.