GLAZED PRUNE CAKE…SPICED UP FOR SHF!
“winter dusk
the rhythm of her knife
chopping fruit and nuts”
Elizabeth St. Jacques
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 at RecipezaarIngredients
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)
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Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
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Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9″ ring pan (or 13×9 pan) and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
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While the cake is baking, combine all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and cook slowly over medium heat until thickened slightly.
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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)
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Cover and allow to cool slightly before serving (this allows the glaze to soak down into the cake).
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
25 Comments
Helene
This looks like the perfect cake with coffee. You always have recipes that I never heard of before. Great pics.
nicisme
So, your prunes look at you too eh? Must be the shiny new apron!
Great looking cake, what are those little things on the right in the last photo?
Passionate About Baking
Thanks Helene…just an attempt to try new stuff; never know when i might hit a home run!
He he Nic, one look at the apron & I shudder at the 'whiteness'! Those little things are Tibetan prayer wheels that I picked up at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal a while ago. I love stuff like this.
Divya Vikram
Gorgeous looking cake..Love the almond topping..
noble pig
I love prunes, this sounds so wonderful. With warm coffee or cocoa…how wonderful.
Manggy
I have a bag of prunes I don’t know what to do with too! But I don’t think using just a cup of them chopped will do 😉 Anyway, the cake looks really good and wholesome at that!
nadia
yum yum yum!!!
i just had a farzipan plum tart- now i want this!
Laurie
Deeba, I really love this! One of my favorite desserts is a fruit cake. It’s so funny, I can’t figure out why so many people dislike them! 🙂 This cake kinda reminded me of that.. the prunes and nuts, and color!
Laurie
Deeba, I really love this! One of my favorite desserts is a fruit cake. It’s so funny, I can’t figure out why so many people dislike them! 🙂 This cake kinda reminded me of that.. the prunes and nuts, and color!
Nazarina A
I love prunes and your cake looks so moist and scrumptious! You had me at prunes of course but the buttermilk in the icing really had me salivating!
Pearlsofeast
Lovely cake and this is again tempting.I love prune cake and it is very moist.Love the ingredients and the glaze
MeetaK
Not many people like prunes but I find when using them in cakes they add a wonderful moist flavor! Nice one Deeba!
Núria
Ain’t your kids lucky? Deeba, this nice cake is more than nice!!! I love prunes and I love almonds… my kind of cake :D… although I could say that of all your sweet recipes ;D
Purnima
Deeba, surf excel hai naa! 😀 That pic of yours was elegant, donning the FB apron n spatula! Wow! COol!
Coming to this recipe, you hv baked it to perfection, even baking, perfect in shape n color n more so how beautifully u hv decorated it! Just mindblowing!
Darius T. Williams
OH yea – this is looking good – I’m in love with this!
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
Bharti
You win some, you lose some.
There’s always something someone doesn’t like!
On that note, I’m not really a prune fan, but then again, I have never tried in a cake.
Do you know they started labeling the prunes as “dried plums” here a few years ago? So you don’t see any prunes in stores now, they’re all dried plums!
Happy cook
Yeah kids are like that. I know my daughter doesn’t like some of the cakes i make , while thes rest of us love them.
Lovve your prune cake.
Sia
fantastic recipe Deeba. I am amazed at ur creativity 🙂
Rosie
A great looking cake Deeba!! I just know it will taste divine and so moist with those prunes added to the ingredients – wonderful job!
Rosie x
Rico
Absolutely beautiful, I bet is tastes as nice as what it looks, even though I am not really a prune man I would love a couple of slices of that cake …I really would.
Ivy
I love fruit in cakes but never tried prunes before. Your cake looks scrumptious, as all your cakes and I am sure it tastes heavenly. I have baked something this morning which sounds perfect for this event.
Usha
Looks perfect…good one…
diva
mmm.spices and autumn – beautiful. no wonder i love this season best! lovely looking cake and gorgeous pics as usual. glad the son liked it! 😀
Swati
A lovely and delicious cake Deeba..
Wishing all of you a very happy Diwali!!
Navita Hakim
Hi Deeba,
Was brwosing the web when I stumbled upon your blog via food buzz….what is food buzz btw (pardon my ignorance), I am fairly new to the blogging world. Just a few weeks old.Have started my own blog Zaayeka. Only started cooking full time after marriage (its been a year only :-)), but now it seems I just can’t stop. LoVe spoiling my hubby with the dishes that I make. This prune cake recipe is the answer to my prayers…my hubby’s fav and I haven’t made them ever before. So will definitely try. Thanks! And yes do visit my blog and help me improve upon it please.Its an earnest request.
http://cooking-up-a-storm-zaayeka.blogspot.com/
Navita