I had a bag of prunes looking at me for ages. Sometime last week, when the weather began to change, getting cooler by the day, I was in a mood for experimenting on the baking front. Surfing the net gobbled up hours as usual, but gave me a match for a prune cake. I liked this recipe on Recipezaar & the reviews too, when I read them, though the glaze had me a bit sceptical. A milk glaze for heavens sake? Threw my thoughts to wild abandon, & plodded on with the cake. Turned out to be an interesting blend of spices & prunes…a healthy & comforting cake in all. if you’re thinking rich, luxurious fruit cake, then this is just not it. This was a light, healthy nice cake. I say ‘nice’ because the kids ate it & quite enjoyed it, i.e. asked for second helpings! (When I sliced it up, I had my doubts & was already thinking of what in the blue blazes I would do with such a HUGE cake!) Thanked my lucky stars & danced a silent jig because they enjoyed the difference in taste. The daughter didn’t take very well to the roasted almonds I sprinkled over the glaze on top, but the son was quite happy with them. You win some, you lose some I guess. This recipe would do well to head for Sugar High Friday, being hosted this month by Anita, the pastry girl @ Dessert First, the theme being spices. In her words, “For my inaugural turn as Sugar High Friday host, I’m choosing Spices as the theme. I think it’s fabulously appropriate, as fall is the perfect time for filling your kitchen with the alluring and cozy aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and all those other spices that put one in the holiday frame of mind.” Well said Anita! Glazed Prune Cake as adapted from this recipe atRecipezaar Ingredients 1 cup cooking oil 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup buttermilk 3 large eggs 2 cups self-rising flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped pitted prunes 1 cup roasted chopped almonds Glaze 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Method:
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (Maybe I should have tossed the cut prunes in a bit of flour; that way they wouldn’t have sunk to the bottom)
Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9″ ring pan (or 13×9 pan) and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
While the cake is baking, combine all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and cook slowly over medium heat until thickened slightly.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven; prick holes over the surface of the hot cake with a fork, and pour the glaze over the top. Top with roasted almonds immediately if you like. (I turned the cake upside down to get the smooth side on top)
Cover and allow to cool slightly before serving (this allows the glaze to soak down into the cake).
