Let's Talk About Prunes

Yes, that's right, I said prunes.  If you're reading a blog about cooking, then you probably know about Pioneer Woman.  If you don't, head over to her site and check her out.  Her recipes are down-home goodness, combined with gorgeous photos.  Plus she has a basset named Charlie, and as the owner of 2 bassets myself, clearly we're simpatico.

In her fabulous cookbook she details one of her grandmother's cake recipes, and it's made with prunes.  That's right.  Prunes.  In her fun recipe introduction she explains how much her husband loves the cake, yet he remains clueless to the "secret ingredient".  Well.  Obviously I needed to try it out.  Besides, I aint got nothing against those prunes.

You start with stewing them in water.

Then you drain and smoosh them all up. I admit.  It's kinda' gross, but I'm powering on.

Next you mix your batter with the yummy cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, and mix in the prune mush.

You bake this fragrant gooeyness at a very low temp (300).  About 5 minutes before it comes out, you make a buttermilk icing.  Then just as soon as you pull your cake out of the oven, you pour the warm icing on the hot cake.  Check out the gooey goodness.

Pioneer Woman recommends eating this cake warm, or cold.  I have to tell you, it is divine.  Warm and gooey out of the oven it melts in your mouth with gooey spicy goodness.  And after it cools down, it's just rich and tasty and oh so good.  I have made this cake twice now, and it is seriously one of my favorites.  I tend to lean towards lemon anything, but this spicy deliciousness is definitely in my top 3 desserts.  I cannot rave about it enough, and as Pioneer Woman says, Make This Cake Today!  Yes, even with the prunes.  In fact, I think I might just call it a Plum Cake.  I mean, seriously, prunes start as plums, so what people don't know won't hurt them. :)