Don’t turn your nose up to prunes just yet! There’s a reason why vintage recipes have stood the test of time, and this Grandma-approved prune cake recipe is one for the books. This cake is moist and delicate, filled with sugary prunes, sweet cinnamon and spicy nutmeg. A sticky-sweet glaze soaks into the warm cake for the ultimate indulgent finish. Grandma really does know best.
Prune Cake Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: We like to think of all-purpose flour as the Goldilocks of flours. Not too dense like bread flour, but not too delicate like cake flour. All-purpose flour is just right.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg really cozy up this prune cake recipe with their warm, sweet and spicy flavors.
- Buttermilk: The rich tanginess that buttermilk imparts is unbeatable. Buttermilk also kickstarts baking soda to help with rising.
- Dried plums: Dried plums are prunes! You can purchase them at most grocery stores and online retailers. See our tips below on how to cook prunes, plus tips for purchasing canned prunes.
- Chopped nuts: Use your favorite nuts here. Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds would all be perfect in this prune cake recipe. Toast the nuts beforehand to unleash their rich nuttiness!
Directions
Step 1: Create the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, and whisk until just combined and only a few flour streaks remain. Fold in the prunes and nuts.
Step 2: Bake
Pour the batter into an ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan. Using a mini offset spatula, smooth the top if need be. Bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Step 3: Make the sauce
Meanwhile, stir together the cubed butter, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
Editor’s Tip: You can start this step during the final five minutes or so of the cake bake time. This way, the cake will be ready to take out of the oven right around the same time the sauce is ready.
Step 4: Pour the sauce on the cake
Pour the sauce over the hot cake. Leave the cake in the pan to cool.
Recipe Variations
- Swap in a different fruit: If you don’t have the time to cook dried plums into prunes, feel free to swap in another stone fruit. Apricots, peaches and cherries are all stone fruits that would be perfect in this recipe.
- Add flavor to the prunes: Add spices and lemon juice when rehydrating the prunes to enhance the flavor of the cake even more.
- Bake in a different pan: According to our baking pan conversions guide, this prune cake recipe can be baked in two 9-inch cake pans instead of one 13×9-inch pan. This is a great option if you want to pass out a cake to another home, or save and freeze one to eat at a later time!
How should you store prune cake?
To store prune cake, allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Cover the pan with storage wrap, or place the cake in an airtight container like a cake keeper. The cake can last for up to five days at room temperature. Because of the glaze, avoid placing storage wrap directly on the cake.
To freeze, allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature. Cover the pan with storage wrap and aluminum foil, or slice the cake and place in an airtight container. Prune cake can last in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or go the extra mile by gently reheating it in the oven to reawaken its sugary glaze.
Prune Cake Tips
How should you cook the prunes for this prune cake recipe?
Prunes are dried plums, so by cooking them, you’re basically rehydrating and softening them. You can buy cooked prunes at the store. Look for cans or jars labeled “stewed” or “ready-to-eat” and come in a syrup or juice. You’ll also want to be sure to buy pitted prunes so that you don’t have to go to the trouble of removing all the pits.
All this being said, it’s incredibly easy to cook your own at home. To cook prunes, combine 2 cups water per pound dried prunes in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
If you happen to have any leftover prunes after using them in this prune cake recipe, use them up in some of our other prune recipes!
How should you serve prune cake?
You can serve this prune cake either warm or chilled. However, serving it hot out of the oven is not recommended for two reasons. First, you’ll want to be sure to allow enough time for the glaze to fully soak into the cake. Second, this cake is quite moist, so you want to give it enough cooling time so it doesn’t crumble when cut. It has its own glaze, so it doesn’t need a sauce, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream would go nicely alongside it.
