Prune Cake

This was the cake I asked my mother to bake me for my birthday each year. Most people would turn up their noses at any food with prunes in it, but oh are they wrong! This cake is wonderful. When my mother had to go to the nursing home, I found her recipe written in the back of an old cookbook. I was so excited and have been baking it ever since. In fact, then I started making it for her. By the way, I lost my Little Mama when she was 95 years old. She was a wonderful cook and passed it down to me.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 631 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup margarine
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 1 cup pitted prunes
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup, such as Karo®

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine prunes and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until prunes are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt®).

Step 3

Mix flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, allspice, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Combine vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk, and eggs in a separate bowl; pour them into the flour mixture. Mix until fully incorporated. Use an electric mixer to blend in the drained prunes; the mixer will break them up a bit. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Step 4

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Step 5

To make icing, combine 1 cup sugar, margarine, 1/2 cup buttermilk, vanilla extract, and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for a full 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

Invert cake onto a platter and pour hot icing over the cake.