This cake is chocolate and plum heaven. Super rich, moist and delicious. How can I convince you to try it? Honestly I am not sure what to say, other than the fact the my husband and kids both gobbled it down before I was finished taking photographs of it. So that may be some indication for you.
In this version of a classic vintage recipe I made sure to include a healthy dose of dark chocolate and cognac. I think it really helps the fill out the flavor and gives it a great texture. The batter is deceivingly thick when plopped into the baking dish, but between the cognac simple syrup and a garnish of chocolate shavings it finishes perfectly.
You may not be used to baking with dried plums (prunes less evocative name) but they make a fantastic pairing with chocolate. You can also make a puree to use as a replacement for oil or butter in your baking.
Chocolate Prune Poke Cake
Equipment
- Sift
- Saucepan
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups pitted prunes
- 1/3 cup Armagnac or cognac
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt, full fat at room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- For The Syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Armagnac or cognac
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8 × 8 baking pan with a flour based baking spray and line bottom and sides of your dish with parchment paper for the best results.
- Heat 1/2 cup prunes with 1/3 cup Armagnac in a small saucepan over medium until warm, 2 to 3 min. Remove from heat and let soak while you continue.
- Sift flour with cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Combine 3/4 cup prunes with yogurt and vegetable oil in a food processor until it turns into a light and shiny paste. Add paste to flour mixture and add in egg, sugars and molasses.
- Add in chopped chocolate and buttermilk. Your mixture will be rather dry. Scrape mixture into prepared baking pan. Smooth top. Cut soaked prunes in half and place on the top of mixture, pressing them in a bit lower than the surface. Reserve remaining liquid for the syrup.
- Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean, about 45 to 50 min. Set on a cooling rack.
- To make a syrup combine water with 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium. Stir until sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 min. Cool for 10 min, then stir in 2 tbsp Armagnac and remaining liquid from prunes.
- Poke several holes in the warm cake with a skewer. Pour syrup evenly over cake. Let cool completely on a rack, 1 hour.
- Garnish with extra chocolate shavings and powdered sugar if desired. We liked eating it a bit warm at our house. You can always pop a slice into the microwave for a few seconds too.
This recipe was developed in partnership with California Grown.
If you like this recipe, you should try this Chocolate Covered Prune Fudge Cake from Meg at This Mess Is Ours.
You should also try these Plum Good Turkey Meatballs from California Grown.
Looks delicious! I’ll have to try!!