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Chocolate, Prune and Walnut Cake with Tea Glaze

Janice Pattie
This spicy, sticky cake is full of the rich flavour of prunes, chocolate and walnuts and perfectly enhanced by the tannic taste of tea.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 8
Calories 720 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the cake

  • 450 grams prunes
  • 2-3 tea bags
  • 150 grams muscovado sugar
  • 200 grams softened butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 150 grams 85% wholemeal flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 100 millilitres buttermilk
  • 50 grams walnuts chopped plus extra for decoration
  • 100 grams 85% dark chocolate chopped

For the glaze

  • 250 grams 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

You need to start this recipe the night before you want to bake it
Serve with a nice cup of Typhoo Tea!
Adapted from The Wholesome Food Cookbook - Maggie Black

Nutrition

Calories: 720kcalCarbohydrates: 96gProtein: 7gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 655mgPotassium: 670mgFiber: 7gSugar: 63gVitamin A: 1145IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 3.3mg