I posted this and year and a half ago with hardly any replies.
Notice who made this cake from there family recipe and shared it.
One more time here i post.
From a Lady that writes.
While, I am going through my Martha Stewart collection, I also found this cake recipe, which might interest you. FIG APRICOT RUM CAKE Ernestine Di Paola, wife of Bill Di Paola, co-owner of Belleclare Nursery in Plainview, New York, shares her family's recipe for a delicious fig-apricot rum cake. She bakes the cake in an angel-food-cake pan, soaks it with a dark-rum syrup, and brushes it with an apricot glaze. The cake is then generously garnished with figs, apricots, walnuts, and whipped cream. Ernestine serves the cake on birthdays and other special occasions. RECIPE MRS. DI PAOLA'S FIG-APRICOT RUM CAKE Serves 8 to 10 For the cake: 1 cup egg whites (about 7 large eggs) 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 5 egg yolks 3 tablespoons freshly grated orange peel 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar For the rum syrup: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 unpeeled medium orange, sliced 1 unpeeled lemon, sliced 1 cup dark rum For the apricot glaze: 1 cup apricot preserves 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice For the garnish: 2 seventeen-ounce cans whole Kadota figs, drained 1 seventeen-ounce can whole peeled apricots, drained and pitted 1/2 cup walnuts 1 cup heavy cream, whipped (optional) To make the cake: 1. Bring egg whites to room temperature in bowl of an electric mixer, about 1 hour. 2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center. Add, in this order: the oil, egg yolks, 3/4 cup water, orange peel, and vanilla. Combine with a wooden spoon until smooth. Set batter aside. 3. Add cream of tartar to warm egg whites. Beat on high speed using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the reserved batter. Transfer batter to a 10-inch nonstick angel-food-cake pan. 4. Bake 55 minutes. Increase the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Invert pan over the neck of a bottle, and let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. To make rum syrup: 1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil; stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add orange and lemon slices, and continue boiling until syrup has reduced to 1 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. 2. Remove pan from heat, and discard orange and lemon slices. Add the rum. Make holes about an inch apart in the top of the cake, using the cake tester. Pour the warm syrup slowly over the cake. Let stand at room temperature until the syrup has been absorbed, about 1 hour. To make the apricot glaze: In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the preserves. Stir in the lemon juice. Strain, and discard solids. Set aside. To serve: Carefully loosen the cake from the pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and transfer, top-side up, to a serving platter. Brush reserved apricot glaze over top and sides. Chill 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with figs, apricots, walnuts, and whipped cream. Serve. This recipe was featured on MSL on August 23, 1999 .