Apricot Petits Fours

Cake

box yellow cake mix with pudding

cup apricot nectar or juice

1/3

cup vegetable oil

teaspoon grated orange peel

eggs

tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or apricot nectar

cups powdered sugar

3/4

cup apricot nectar or water

1/2

cup corn syrup

1/3

cup butter or margarine, melted

teaspoons almond extract

Sliced almonds

Orange peel

Hide Images

1

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2

In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients except liqueur with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan.
3

Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Brush liqueur over top of cake. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. To avoid cake crumbs when adding icing, freeze cake 1 hour before cutting.
4

In large bowl, beat icing ingredients on low speed until powdered sugar is moistened. Beat on high speed until smooth. If necessary, add 2 to 3 teaspoons more apricot nectar until icing is pourable.
5

Place cooling rack on cookie sheet or waxed paper to catch icing drips. Cut cake into 9 rows by 6 rows. Working with 6 pieces at a time, remove cake pieces from pan and place on cooling rack. Spoon icing evenly over top and sides of cake pieces, letting icing coat sides. (Icing that drips off can be reused.) Let stand until icing is set, about 2 hours.
6

Decorate with almonds and orange peel as desired. Store in single layer in airtight plastic container.

You can make the cakes up to 2 weeks earlier and freeze, but wait to add the icing until shortly before you serve them.
Apricot nectar sounds like an exotic ingredient, but you're likely to find it in the juice aisle of the supermarket.

0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.