Let's face it: Prunes have a bad reputation, conjuring up images of nursing home fare and snacks for the intestinally challenged. Even with the recent rebranding of the fruit as dried plums, a prune by any other name is still...a prune. But don't let that dissuade you from making this rocking fabulous cake. It's astonishingly delicious.
Brown Sugar Prune Cake -- made from a c. 1950s recipe -- would be lovely for breakfast (baked in muffin tins if you want to convince yourself that muffins are not cake) or a wonderful snack any time. It's even good enough for a dinner party dessert.
Begin by cooking the prunes in a bit of hot water until soft. Drain and set aside.
Mix the batter ingredients.
Spoon into a prepared 8 x 8 inch pan, either greased and floured or lined with parchment paper.
Bake, cool, cut and enjoy!
I followed the recipe exactly, but used butter instead of margarine. For the nuts, I used walnuts. The final instruction (continued on the back of the card, not pictured) is to sprinkle the top with brown sugar. That step is not necessary; the cake is plenty sweet without this step.
We love prunes, and this will be baked in muffin tins, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI will have to try this. I have a recipe that uses baby food prunes, but I bet this is better. Everybody loves it if I don't tell them it's made of prunes!
ReplyDeleteI too love prunes. I approve of the re-branding as dried plums if it gets people to look at them twice.
ReplyDeleteI'm on a weird 8-inch square cake kick; I have a feeling this guy is next up.
I love prunes as well, but only in baked goods.
ReplyDeleteI'm not ready for eating prunes out of a bag....just yet.
lol
Made this cake Saturday for our desert. Excellent cake and easy to make. The prunes sort of just disappear in to the cake so no one need ever know that they're in there in case they are "prune averse." Perfect with coffee on Sunday AM. Didn't have a 9" square pan so used my traditional 9x13"....worked just fine....just a little thinner that what's pictured.
ReplyDelete