Prune Cake

Name: Prune Cake
Ingredients: Cake:; 500 ml (2 cups) cake flour; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda; 2,5 ml 91/2 teaspoon) salt; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) cinnamon; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) mixed spice; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground nutmeg; 3 eggs; 310 ml (1 ¼ cup) sugar; 250 ml (1 cup) oil; 250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence; 250 ml (1 cup) pecan nuts, chopped; 250 ml (1 cup) pitted prunes, finely chopped; Topping:; 1,25 ml 91/4 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda; 60 ml (4 tablespoons) buttermilk; 125 ml 91/2 cup) sugar; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) golden syrup; 50 g butter; 2,5 ml 91/2 teaspoon) vanilla essence

This is a lovely, moist and spicy cake that keeps very well. Serve it with cream at teatime or with a scoop of prune ice cream (see recipe index) and brandy sauce for dessert.

Published 18 November 2022

Method

Preheat oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF). Grease a 25 cm round pie dish.
Sift together the dry ingredients.
Beat the eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add the oil and beat again.
Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk and beat until smooth.
Stir in the nuts and prunes. Spoon the batter into the prepared pie dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the buttermilk. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, spoon the topping over, allowing the syrup to run down the sides of the pie dish by pushing the cake away with a knife whilst spooning the syrup over the cake.