Chocolate Prune Cake 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2
Cup Prunes -- pitted & cut up Teaspoon Baking Soda Cup Boiling Water Cup Butter Cup Sugar Eggs 3/4 Cups Flour Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a bundt pan. Sprinkle soda on prunes. Pour boiling water over and allow to cool. Cream butter and sugar in food processor. Add eggs. Add prune mixture and whir about 15 seconds. Add flour sifted with cocoa. Mix till blended with on/off motion. Pour into pan. Bake 45-55 minutes. When cool, turn out. Sprinkle with icing (powdered) sugar if you like. This is a deliciously, moist cake. No one will know your using prunes unless you squeal. You can get it right here
Brown Sugar Prune Cake 1/2 c Butter or margarine 1 1/2 c C and H Golden Brown Sugar -- firmly packed 2 Eggs 1/2 c Cooked pitted prunes,chopped 1 1/2 c All-purpose flour 1 ts Baking soda 1/4 ts Salt 1/2 ts Cinnamon 1/2 ts Nutmeg 1/2 ts Allspice 1/4 ts Cloves 2/3 c Buttermilk 1/2 c Chopped walnuts Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Stir in prunes. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices and add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts. Pour into greased and floured 9-inch square pan. Bake in 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on rack. Cut into 9 squares. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or whipped cream. Top with brown sugar. Reprinted with permission from _Just Cakes_ From the C and H Sugar Kitchen Electronic format by Karen Mintzias
CHOCOLATE & PRUNE CAKE REVISED Torta di Prugne e Cioccolato
200g vv good prunes halved and stoned (just buy the ready to eat soft ones) 4tbsp brandy 200g 70%+cocoa solids choc in small pieces - only ever Green & Black's if you ask me 25g good cocoa powder - G&B's again 175g dark muscovado sugar ( 150 g and 25 g ) 150ml boiling water 4 large free range egg whites 75g plain flour Put prunes in a small bowl + brandy soak for 2+ hours (chef's tip - put in a small plastic bag and tie securely then mush it about as you pass. Gets brandy right in to prunes and saves washing up). Serves 8. Oven 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line base and side of a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking parchment. Put chocolate, cocoa powder, 150g sugar, 150ml boiling water into a large bowl and stir until melted & smooth. Whisk egg whites in a separate large bowl until stiff. Gradually whisk in remaining sugar. Sift flour over mix and fold in gently using large metal spoon, until flour is nearly incoroporated. (Stir the choc mix occasionally). 1/4 egg mix into choc mix - stir well. Pour choc mix into egg mix and carefully fold in until texture becomes loose. Pour into prepared tin. Scatter prunes over top & bake for 30-35 mins, or until sponge is just firm and risen up around prunes (this didn't happen to me so check with a cake spike until it comes out cleanish - don't over cook). Leave to cool in tin. Now this next bit you might want to skip, I tried it and it wasn't that successful but the cake was +yum anyway. • 1tspn espresso ground coffee • 25g caster sugar • 1tbsp lemon juice • 150ml water Place coffee & sugar in a small heavy based pan with lemon juice and 150ml water. Heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil & cook for 3-5 mins until mix thickens and becomes syrupy. Strain and serve spooned over the cake. Here endeth Ursula's truly sublime cake. I just had to hide those unsunken prunes from some of my disbelieving mates so: Serving the masterpiece: Turn it out upside down and sift vv good cocoa powder over. Then Iain suggested putting those little chocolate espresso beans in a pile in the centre. And it was very very beautiful and very very yum.
Prune and Whisky Cake (adapted from the excellent Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts) For the cake you'll need:
2 cups pitted prunes 0.25 cup scotch whisky ===== ¼ cup 2 cups water 0.75 cup vegie oil =======3/4 cup 1.5 cups packed brown sugar ===1 ½ cup 4 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla 2.75 cups unbleached white flour =====2 ¾ cup 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 0.5 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground cloves 0.5 tsp ground cardamon 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 cup buttermilk (I used sour cream thinned with milk because that's what I had) For the glaze you need: 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 0.25 cup more scotch ==========1/4 cup 0.25 cup liquid from the prune cooking =======1/4 cup In a small saucepan, combine the prunes, whisky and water. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the prunes are very tender. Drain, keeping the liquid. Coarsely chop the prunes and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the oil and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and other dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture the batter, beating until well blended. Pour in the buttermilk and beat until just smooth. Fold in the chopped prunes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for at least an hour (mine took 15 minutes more). If you stick a knife in it should come out clean. Now cool the cake in a pan for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a serving platter and cool for 15 minutes more - still in the tin. Then remove the pan. To make the glaze - combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Pierce the top of the cake with a skewer or toothpick in 10 places. Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it to soak in.