Pioneer Woman’s “Iny’s Prune Cake”

posted on August 10, 2013 by Vedika 0 Comments »
pioneer woman's prune cake
I spent four weeks in suburban New York this summer. I had a lot of fun taking the train to the city whenever possible and breathing in the enchanting burrow of Manhattan. It is truly an inspirational city and someday, I hope to make it my home. Bakeries can be found in the smallest cracks and crevices, their sweet aroma hypnotizing passing pedestrians. How awesome is it to have a garden on a roof (the high line)? Or rain that doesn’t seep through clothing (Rain Room, MOMA)? While I passed several days in this dazzling city, I spent much time at my aunt’s house in the suburbs, relaxing before heading back to my temporary deathbed called “school”.

I spent some time watching TV, and may I just say that American television is incredible. Every possible show is broadcasted and despite the harrowing commercials, the TV there is quite enjoyable. Whenever I could at 5 pm each day, I would tune in to the Pioneer Woman on Food Network. I enjoyed watching Ree Drummond make gluttonous, high-calorie all-American recipes. It’s like she’s the new Paula Deen! *but look how well that turned out in the end*. I probably will not end up making many of Ree’s recipes just because of all the sour cream and butter, but I was allured by her grandmother Iny’s prune cake recipe. There’s something particularly enticing about spices like cinnamon, all-spice and nutmeg that I can never resist.

I was convinced at that. That and the caramel sauce she practically drenched the cake in. The cake looked so moist and gooey, and it had prunes, which is always a bonus. Prunes are great for digestion, so I thought, “why not?”

Thank you, Pioneer Woman and Grandma Iny. You just made my life. 

Note: The original recipe yields a 9×13 inch cake- I altered it to fit a 8×8 square cake.
For Pioneer Woman’s recipe and post, click here
Pioneer Woman’s “Iny’s Prune Cake”
Author: Hot Chocolate Hits
Ingredients
  • My version (makes an 8×8 inch cake):
  • For the cake:
  • 1/2 cup prunes
  • 1 really big egg (1/2 cup of beaten egg is what I used)
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice (use the spices you have on hand- I know allspice may not easily be available)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • For the glaze:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp butter (salted, unsalted – your choice)
  • 1/2 tbsp corn syrup (use maple syrup if you ain’t got no corn syrup)
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F or 150 C and prepare a 8×8 inch baking pan- grease with butter.
  2. Place the prunes in a saucepan, cover with around 1 cup of water bring to a boil for 8 minutes.
  3. When they are nice and soft, place them on a plate and mash with a fork.
  4. In a bowl, combine the egg(s), sugar and oil.
  5. Blend in the prunes until they are distributed through out the batter.
  6. Sift in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice), and stir just to incorporated- don’t over-work the gluten in the flour!
  7. Add in the vanilla and buttermilk, fold together with a spatula to make sure everything is well-combined.
  8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 min (Mine baked for exactly 35 min, I inserted a knife, it came out clean.) As PW says, “DO NOT OVERBAKE!”
  9. During the last 5 min of baking, begin the glaze. Pour all the ingredients into a saucepan with tall sides and bring to a boil on medium-low until the color is a light caramel brown. Turn off the heat, let it settle for around a minute, and drizzle over the cake.
  10. Let the cake absorb the caramel sauce for a couple minutes, then dig in!
posted in Cakes, Christmas, Comfort Food, Fall
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