By Mollie Zapata,
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (sounds like a lot, but you want it all)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 large egg
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 fresh apricot, diced
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners鈥� sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9-inch round cake pan (or a loaf pan).
2. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until they are golden brown and aromatic, 12-14 minutes. Cool completely and then finely chop them.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a medium bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a spoon!), beat the eggs, water, sugar, and olive oil together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the dry ingredients all at once on low speed until they are thoroughly combined, then switch to medium speed and mix for 30 seconds. Mix in the zucchini, apricot, and walnuts on low speed until they are completely incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes (40-45 if you鈥檙e using a loaf pan) or until a tester inserted in the cakes comes out clean and the cakes have begun to pull away from the sides of the pans.
5. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and granulated sugar, then whisk in the confectioners鈥� sugar until the glaze is completely smooth.
6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a wire rack. Immediately spoon the glaze over the entire surface of the warm cake, using all of the glaze; it will adhere to the cake and set as the cake cools. Allow the cake to cool completely and the glaze to dry.
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