- I love the rich flavours of this Chocolate, Prune and Walnut Cake with Tea Glaze, it has the moist texture of gingerbread but with chunks of chocolate and crunchy walnuts.
Soak Prunes in Tea
When I was a child, prunes weren’t nice and plump and ready to eat. They were very dried out and you soaked them overnight and cooked them before they were good to eat. I still soak prunes in tea because I like the flavour.
My Mum always soaked prunes in tea. The flavours really work well together and prunes and custard was a favourite childhood dessert.
When did you start to drink tea?
I started drinking tea at a young age. At around 3 years old I was drinking sweet milky tea.
Today it seems an odd thing to give a child, but having reflected on it, there was probably a lot less sugar in it than in fizzy drinks and no more stimulants than in colas.
By the time I was 12 I had given up the sugar in my tea and, by the time I was 19 I no longer took milk in my tea. This was due to student communal fridges where there never seemed to be any milk left!
Tea Bread
I do love a cup of tea and it can also add flavour to cakes and bakes. One of the most popular recipes at Farmersgirl Kitchen is Mary’s Tea Time Cake,
You make this Tea Bread by soaking dried fruit in tea, it’s an easy recipe and makes a lovely fruit loaf.
Pureed prunes are the key ingredient in this recipe. I use dried fruit to make cakes but I was inspired to use prunes by a recipe in a book I picked up in a library clearance sale.
I knew that using a strong tea like Typhoo Extra Strong Teabags would really add to the rich flavours. Adding chopped chocolate and walnuts give the cake added sweetness and texture.
Tea Glaze
The Tea Glaze is very simple to make and , you use the tea from soaking the prunes with icing (powdered) sugar. This is the first time I’ve made a tea glaze but I really like the slight sharpness of the tea with the sweet sugar.
How to make Chocolate, Prune and Walnut Cake
- Make a pot of strong tea
- Cover the prunes with the hot tea and leave for at least 8 hours
- Puree the prunes in a food processor or blender
- Beat together the butter and sugar, add the eggs, prune puree and fold in the rest of the ingredients.
Put the mixture into a cake tin or bundt tin and bake according to the recipe instructions.
Once baked remove the cake from the tin and place on a cooling tray. Once cool, pour over the tea glaze and decorate with walnut halves.
What does the Chocolate, Prune and Walnut Cake taste like?
The cake tastes a little bit like gingerbread, although there is no ginger in it. It is not too sweet cake but has that slightly fudgy soft texture that makes it very moreish.
The walnuts and pieces of chocolate add a contrasting texture, and the tea glaze has a tannic sharpness which really enhances the overall flavour.
More bakes using tea
Apricot Tea Bread from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Tea Flavoured Digestive Biscuits from Fuss Free Flavours
Peach, Tea and White Chocolate Traybake from Fab Food 4 All
Baking with Typhoo Tea from Recipes from a Normal Mum
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Chocolate, Prune and Walnut Cake with Tea Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake
- 450 g prunes
- 2-3 tea bags
- 150 g muscovado sugar
- 200 g softened butter
- 2 eggs
- 150 g 85% wholemeal flour
- 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 ml buttermilk
- 50 g walnuts chopped plus extra for decoration
- 100 g 85% dark chocolate chopped
For the glaze
- 250 g icing powdered sugar
- cold tea that the prunes soaked in (see method0
Instructions
To make the cake
- Boil the kettle and make a nice big pot of Extra Strong Typhoo tea (if you don't have a teapot, use a jug), leave to soak until you have dark brown tea.
- Put the prunes in a bowl and pour over enough tea to cover them, leave overnight or for at least 8 hours until the prunes are plumped up and have absorbed most of the tea.
- Drain the prunes, keeping the tea in a bowl to use later in the glaze. If the prunes have stones, remove the stones, then puree the prunes in a food processor or electric blender.
- Grease an 8in/200mm ring cake tin, Bundt tin or you can use an ordinary cake tin with a jam jar in the middle.
- Beat the sugar and butter together until soft and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the prune puree.
- Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the creamed sugar and butter, with the buttermilk. Beat well.
- Finally, add the chopped walnuts and chocolate and fold into the mixture.
- Turn the mixture into the cake tin and bake at 350F/180C/Gas 4 for 30 minutes then increase the heat to 375F/190C/Gas 5 and bake for another 25 minutes.
- Check it is baked with a skewer which should come out clean, the cake should also be easing away from the sides of the tin.
- Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- When the cake is completely cool make the glaze.
To make the glaze
- Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, then gradually add the tea/prune soaking mixture until the icing is the consistency of thick pouring cream.
- Pour the glaze evenly over the cake so it runs in drips down the centre and sides.
- Top with walnut halves and leave to set.
Notes
Serve with a nice cup of Typhoo Tea! Adapted from The Wholesome Food Cookbook - Maggie Black
Nutrition
I’m entering my Chocolate, Prune and Walnut Cake with Tea Glaze for two blogging challenges.
Bake of the Week: the weekly baking linky from Helen at Casa Costello
Love Cake: the monthly cake challenge from JibberjabberUK This month’s theme is ‘Best of British’ and what could be more British than a love of tea
Dom says
That bundt looks gorgeous. It’s been ages since I made a tea-soaked tea-cake. I do love the flavour of tea and you’re right, something strong in there really does make a difference. A lovely old-fashioned cake.!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Dom.
Alison says
That looks gorgeous. Nothing beats a cuppa and it works so well in cakes. I love your tea towel as well.
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Ali, it was a really tasty cake.
Keep Calm and Fanny On says
I never fancied prunes when I was younger, and hated sweet tea, but maybe you’ve changed my mind!
Choclette says
Ooh my that does gorgeous. I love cakes with a pudding like texture and chocolate prune cakes are delicious. Would never have thought of using tea as a soaking liquid – well done your mum.
Ness says
My nan used to give me prunes and custard as a pudding when I was child and I love it but as you say anything is made better when tea and chocolate is added!
Janice Pattie says
prunes seems such an old fashioned sort of thing, but they are super delicious, especially with chocolate.