Shared by Anat Abramov

This recipe was shared by Anat Abramov. Read more about her family in "An Israeli Apricot Cake With an Austro-Hungarian Soul."
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9x9” square pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger and nutmeg.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just blended.
Add the rum (if using) and lemon zest, and blend until just incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Pour the batter into the reserved pan and spread evenly, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Place the apricots with the outer skin sunk into the batter in a 4x5 or 4x4 pattern, depending on the size of your apricots.
Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the top.
Bake, turning halfway through for even baking, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 50-55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.