Keeping Cake with Middle-Eastern Flavors

Directions

1. Grease well the inside of the Kugelhupf pan (I use coconut oil, but butter works as well). Grind half the pistachios and use them to dust the inside of the greased pan, coating all surfaces well. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the saffron to moisten, and add in the vanilla extract and first amount of orange blossom water. With the mixer at low speed, slip the eggs into the creamed mixture one at a time. Increase speed after each addition until fully incorporated and fluffy.
4. Toss the apricots with a Tablespoon of the flour until coated. Sift together the remaining flour, semolina, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, a quarter at a time. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and mix again until the flour us fully incorporated.
5. Coarsely chop the remaining pistachios, and fold into the batter along with the apricots.
6. In a separate bowl mix the ground poppy seed, sugar, orange zest, and orange flower water, crushing any lumps.
7. Spoon a third of the batter into the prepared pan and top with half the poppyseed mixture. Add another third of the batter, and top with the remaining poppyseeds. Spoon on the remaining batter, covering the poppyseeds completely. Rap the pan firmly on the counter two or three times to eliminate any air pockets and smooth the top.
8. Bake the cake for 1 1/2-2 hours; start checking for doneness after an hour by sticking a skewer into the deepest part and checking if it comes out clean. If the cake Browns too quickly, tent the top with foil.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then carefully unmold and let cool completely on the rack, broad side down.
10. Once cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Cake also freezes well.