Apricot Coffee Cake with Pistachios

I'm obsessed with this sweet-salty, pantry-raid, ultra-delicious cake! Apricot preserves reign supreme here: woven into moist and buttery cake batter and topped with crunchy roasted pistachios. It's a luscious, sweet cake, scented with fruit and encased in the most wonderful nutty crumb.  It's also crazy-healthy. And get this: you can use any fruit preserve/nut combo you have on hand.

Here's the deal with this cake... and I almost called this "boredom cake" instead of the much more sultry "apricot coffee cake". Here's why: We're on a stay-at-home lockdown (pandemic 2020, right?). I'm at my boyfriend's place.... on a Saturday morning. Typical bachelor spread, but I wanted bake. So I raided his fridge and pantry and went from there. What a knock-it-outta-the-park cake this turned out to be! I should work with other people's stash more often!  Sweet, moist, crunchy - totally amazing with tea or coffee.

And the best part is - you can use whatever you have to make an equally amazing cake. Check your fridge for fruit preserves - orange marmalade and all other fruit preserves will work. Same with the nuts on top; walnuts, pecans and pine nuts would be great too.

So, this cake will NOT be called "boredom cake". It's much too delicious to get that disrespect.

Oh, and why did I photograph some slices on that gorgeous ammonite? Because my man collects fossils and it was his idea. I was shooting... he ran out with one of his favorite pieces... I think it looks pretty cool, don't you?

Apricot Coffee Cake with Pistachios

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup roasted/salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well or process until blended. Add the apricot preserves, milk, orange juice, butter, egg, and vanilla and mix or process until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the pistachios over top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it. Cool the cake, in the pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Serves 12