Michelle Darmody: How to bake a prune and chocolate cake — and the mistakes to avoid
Chocolate prune cake, sliced on blue plate
Prunes are an overlooked baking ingredient; they have a natural sweetness and a richness of flavour that adds depth and a smooth, rich texture to cakes and bakes.
I like to bake with Agen prunes in particular, the only problem is I find it difficult not to eat half of them before they are added to the recipe.
At this time of year, they are particularly nice stewed with some port and brandy and served with whipped cream or crème fraiche.
The Agen prune has a protected geographical status which means that only prunes from this region in France can use the name.
They are particularly delicious and quite different to the shriveled versions we are more used to seeing on shop shelves.
The plums grow well in the area near the town of Agen, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, before they are dehydrated into prunes.
The warm summer sun and the chalky clay soil give the plums their flavour and sweetness.
They have been cultivated in the area since crusaders and monks brought the seeds of the trees from Damascus in the 12th century. They are the only dried fruit in Europe with a protected status.
Agen prunes are often sold under their French name Pruneaux D’Agen and can be found in health food shops, delis and a lot of larger supermarkets.
I like to bake with Agen prunes in particular, the only problem is I find it difficult not to eat half of them before they are added to the recipe. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 240g Agen prunes, stones removed and quartered 4 tbsp brandy 100g dark chocolate broken into small even-ized pieces 50g soft butter 25g cocoa powder 100ml water 160g caster sugar 85g plain flour, sieved 4 egg whites, whisked to soft peaks Method 1. Place the pieces of prunes into the brandy and leave to soak for an hour or overnight in a cool place. 2. Preheat your oven to 190ºC/gas mark 5. 3. Line a 9-inch spring form or loose base cake tin with parchment. 4. Mix the chocolate, butter, cocoa powder, water and caster sugar in a saucepan and heat over a very low heat until everything is melted and combined. Set aside to cool. 5. Stir the sieved flour into the butter and chocolate mixture. 6. Stir in the prunes and any remaining liquid. 7. Fold the whisked egg whites in until just combined. 8. Scoop your mixture into your prepared tin. 9. Place in the centre of your oven and bake for 30 minutes. 10. Allow to cool in the tin.Chocolate and Prune Cake
- Tinned prunes also work well but you need to drain them. You can also use a different variety of prune rather than Agen. You may need to soak them for longer to soften them.
- No matter what prunes you use, it is always really important to make sure the stones are all removed. I have on occasion bought prunes that say they are de-stoned but then found one or two stones lurking inside.
- You can use whiskey or a sweet wine in place of the brandy if you wish.
- When whisking egg whites to soft peak, it is important that you do not get any egg yolk into the white when you are separating the eggs. The yolk is quite rich and contains oils that will prevent the whites from becoming light and fluffy. It is also important to keep your bowl and whisk clean. If you want to be doubly safe, you can wipe them down with some vinegar. It will remove any oily residue.
- When adding the egg white to the flour and chocolate mixture it is best to fold them in rather than stir. The folding will keep some of those lovely air bubbles that you have added when whisking the egg whites to stiff peaks. When folding, you generally add the lighter mixture into the heavier one, in this case egg white to the other ingredients. You can use either a spatula or a wooden spoon and cut down through the centre of the mixture with the egg white and then scoop around the base and pull the mixture back up incorporating as you go. There should not be any streaks of the egg mixture when you are finished but the lightness should be preserved.
- The cake will last a few days in an airtight container. It is best to keep it in the fridge or a cool place, but it is good to serve it at room temperature or warm. It is particularly nice when recently baked.
- You can freeze the cake, either whole or in slices wrapped in parchment and placed into a freezer-safe container.
Add the zest of two oranges to the butter and chocolate mixture after it has cooled a little.
You can also use Grand Marnier liqueur in place of the brandy.
You can use hazelnuts as an alternative to the prunes. You will have a cake with a different texture but with an equally good flavour.
I usually roast about 200g of hazelnuts and remove the skins by rubbing the nuts in a clean tea towel.
Finely chop the nuts and add them in place of the prunes. I would reduce the amount of alcohol added to 2 tablespoons instead of 4.
In place of the prunes, add 150g of white chocolate chips and 250g of raspberries to the batter after the flour has been added.
You can use a raspberry liqueur in place of the brandy if you like. I would again add 2 tablespoons instead of 4.
