Apricot Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Use Real Or Faux Sour Cream Or Yogurt)

Grease and flour a large rectangle baking pan (1/4 sheet cake size) or a large round, deep cake pan.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix the dry batter ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder)
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter/margarine and sugar
Add the eggs, one at a time into the sugar mixture. Beat well. Add the vanilla and mix well.
Mix until just blended. The batter will be thick.
Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the batter in the pan.
Add the filling: Sprinkle 1/2c walnuts over the cake. Drop small blobs of 1/3c apricot preserves over the cake and then sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped apricots.
Smooth the remaining 1/2 of the batter on top of the filling.
Repeat sprinkling nuts, dropping remaining apricot preserves and chopped fruit on top of the cake.
Bake for approximately 60 minutes (I check after 45 minutes). Test for doneness. The cake will be soft and a bit jiggly.
Cool completely in the oven. The cake will firm up.
Serve in small portions, the cake is rich. It will stay well for 2-3 days (I wrap and keep it in the fridge, but it can be stored at room temperature).
*NOTE: this cake is very forgiving of over mixing. You can use sour cream, faux sour cream (look for one with just a few ingredients and a short "use by" date), full fat or low fat yogurt or non-dairy "yogurt." The dairy and non-dairy versions are great!