Spiced Prune Almond Coffee Cake Recipes

SHABBAT COFFEE CAKE WITH RED WINE-SOAKED PRUNES

Steps:

• For the prunes: In a small pot, combine the prunes, granulated sugar, wine and cinnamon stick if using. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine reduces by about a quarter and the mixture becomes syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the prunes cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until you're ready to make the cake. (You can do this up to a week ahead of time and keep them chilled until ready to use.)
• For the streusel topping: Combine the flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Break up any lumps of sugar with your hands, and then mix to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Add the melted butter and vanilla, and with a fork, gently mix the mixture together until large crumbles form. Use your hands and continue to gently mix until the topping is in crumbled bits ranging in size from a small marble to a lentil. Cover and place the streusel in the refrigerator to chill while you mix the cake.
• For the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper and then butter the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix in the salt and set aside.
• In another mixing bowl, cream together the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds. I like to do this with a large, stiff spatula, or a wooden spoon, beating the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix to fully combine. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and gently fold them together until uniform. Last, add the sour cream and gently fold it through the batter until just combined. A few streaks is ok; you don't want to overmix it.
• Remove the prunes from the red wine syrup, straining off the liquid. Save the liquid for later! It's great drizzled on fruit or ice cream. Roughly chop the prunes and set aside.
• Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth it out into an even layer with a spatula. Add the chopped prunes in an even layer and then cover with the remaining batter, smoothing it out into an even layer. Remove the streusel from the fridge and gently break up any large clusters with your hands. Top the cake with the streusel crumbles in an even layer.
• Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a heatproof surface for at least 1 hour. Release the outer ring of the springform pan, running a butter knife around the edges if the cake seems to stick in any areas. I like to leave the cake on the bottom round of the pan for easy serving.
• Place the coffee cake on a serving platter or cake stand and using a small, fine strainer, dust the powdered sugar all over the top of the cake. Slice and enjoy. Shabbat Shalom!

SPICED PRUNE-ALMOND 'COFFEE' CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan. Sprinkle half of almonds into pan. Tilt to coat bottom and halfway up sides with nuts (do not tap out excess). Combine buttermilk, instant coffee, vanilla and almond extracts in small bowl. Stir until coffee dissolves. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and ground cloves into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix in prunes and orange peel. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool 30 minutes in pan on rack. Turn cake out onto rack. Quickly turn upright onto platter and cool until just warm.
• For glaze:
• Combine brown sugar, butter and cream in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until butter melts. Boil 2 minutes. Mix in instant coffee granules. Cool slightly. Drizzle glaze over cake.
• Garnish cake with orange slices and cinnamon stick if desired and serve warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE, PRUNE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 20 cm square cake tin. Melt 225 g of the chocolate and all the butter together in a heavy-based pan over a low heat. Spread the nuts on a grilling tray and toast until the skins begin to blister. Rub the nuts with a cloth, discarding the skins, then return the nuts to the grill til golden brown. When the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, prunes and eggs. Spoon the mixture into the lined cake tin and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
• When completely set, remove from the tin and peel off the paper. Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over a pan of genly simmering water then pour the chocolate over the cake and return the cake to the fridge to set. With a large heavy knife, cut the cake in half. Then cut each half into 6 slices making 12 slices in total.

SPICED PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a nonstick Bundt pan (12-cup capacity), tapping out excess flour; set aside.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil; remove from heat, and add prunes. Cover, and let soak 10 minutes. Drain prunes and finely chop; set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; mix just until combined. Stir in prunes and nuts.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and the cake has pulled away completely from sides of the pan, 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Immediately invert onto a cooling rack; let cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

JACK HORNER PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over the prunes and let stand for 2 hours.
• Sift the dry ingredients together.
• Add the prune mixture and all other ingredients.
• Blend throughly for about 1 minute.
• Beat at medium speed fro 2 minutes (300 strokes by hand).
• Pour into a greased and floured pan.
• Tube pan 350 for 1 hour.
• Jelly Roll pan 350 for 35 minutes.
• Cup Cakes 400 for 20-25 minutes.

BREAKFAST PRUNE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch tube pan.
• In a large bowl, mix the shortening and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and prunes. Sift the flour, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper. Stir in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix in the walnuts if using. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the crown of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

OLD FASHIONED PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour Bundt or tube pan.
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine oil, eggs and 1 1/2 cup sugar. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
• Add flour mixture, alternating with 1 cup buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. beat well after each addition. Stir in prunes, pecans and 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.
• Pour into greased and floured bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
• Make large, deep holes in hot cake and pour topping in holes and on top of cake a little at a time, giving it time to soak in.
• For the topping: In saucepan, over medium heat, cook butter, 3/4 cup buttermilk, corn syrup and 1 1/2 cup sugar until sugar and butter melt. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla and stir.