Apricot-Pistachio-Honey Cake Recipe

Oil and flour to prepare the baking pan
3-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups dried apricots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
(Note: If using a single oven, place one rack in the center of the oven and the other above it, allowing enough room in between for the height of the loaf pans. If a double oven is available, preheat both ovens.)
Line two 9" X 5" loaf pans with foil. Coat the foil with oil and flour, shaking out excess flour. Coat a 12 muffin tin with the oil and flour mixture, omitting the foil step.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in a bowl. Stir the boiling water into the honey. Add the oil, lemon juice and lemon zest, stirring to combine.
In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar until light and fluffy. Starting and ending with the flour, alternate adding the flour and honey mixture to the eggs. Stir in the apricots and pistachios. Pour the batter into the lar pan, filling them three-fourths of the way. Distribute the remaining batter evenly among the muffin cups. Place a cookie sheet on the oven racks. Bake the loaves on the cookie sheets for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a cooling rack. At the completion of the cooking for the loaves, place the muffin tin in
the center rack of the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Run a knife around the edges of the muffins and invert them on the rack to cool.