7/7/2023 0 Comments Jumex apricot nectar![]() In 1963, a newspaper wrote that the cake was “sweeping” the wiregrass area (the area includes parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia). Just like the Lemon Jell-O Cake, the Apricot Nectar Cake was served at baby and bridal showers as well as ladies’ auxiliary, garden clubs, and junior league meetings alongside soft drinks and punches. Both cakes are fairly similar to each other. This is not surprising to me as during this same time period the “Famous” Lemon Jell-O Cake was making its rounds as well. The height of popularity for the cake is the 1960s. Therefore it would not surprise me that this cake has its origins in the south. What I did find was a 1966 ad campaign from Pillsbury that featured the recipe for the cake that targeted Southern towns in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas. Now I could not find anything myself pointing for sure to Lafayette but I am limited in my reach with the resources I have. Rebecca Sharpless in her book Grain and Fire: A History of Baking in the American South (2022) says the apricot cake came from Lafayette, Louisiana. A 1999 newspaper article agrees with that sentiment when they wrote: “Recipes for apricot nectar cake have probably been around just about as long as boxed cake mix.” Cake mixes were first invented in the 1930s but really did not get popular until some time in the 1950s. It is pretty connected to box cake mixes and especially the Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme. Who and where was Apricot Nectar Cake created? A glaze of confectioners sugar and lemon juice is poured on the cake while it is still hot and adds to the tart-sweet flavor that the apricot nectar gives it”. So what does the apricot nectar add to the mix? A 1963 Dothan, Alabama newspaper explained it perfectly: “The cake is baked in a tube pan and uses a prepared yellow cake mix. This usually has an apricot filling and is frosted.
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