Apple Prune Cardamom Cake
This prune apple cardamom cake by the chef Genevieve Gergis was inspired by sticky toffee pudding, a dish that her husband and business partner, the chef Ori Menashe, loves. It’s on the menu at their restaurant Bavel in Los Angeles, where it’s served hot from the oven with date toffee sauce and whipped cream. You can serve this cake version with your favorite toffee or caramel sauce and ice cream. It makes a lovely dessert after a Rosh Hashana supper or as part of a spread to break the Yom Kippur fast.
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 1cup/170 grams lightly packed chopped prunes
- 1cup plus 2 tablespoons/270 milliliters good apple cider
- 1cup/170 grams grated apple (Pink Lady or other tart variety, peeled, grated and firmly packed)
- 7tablespoons/100 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering the pan
- 1cup plus 2 tablespoons/145 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅓cup/40 grams einkorn flour (or use whole wheat pastry flour)
- 2 ¼teaspoons baking powder
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon fine salt
- 2 ½teaspoons cardamom
- 1teaspoon cinnamon
- ½cup/92 grams packed muscovado sugar, or 1/2 cup/110 grams light brown sugar
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2large eggs
- Whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Put the prunes in a medium bowl and pour in the apple cider. Let soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour or, if longer, refrigerate up to overnight.Step 2
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the soaked prunes and cider for 15 to 20 minutes until the prunes are soft and mostly broken down. Set aside and let cool to room temperature, then stir in the grated apples.Step 3
Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously butter a 9-inch cake pan. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.Step 4
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl once again, and add the eggs one at a time, scraping down in between each addition. Alternate adding half the prune mixture, then half the flour mixture, to the stand mixer bowl, starting with wet and ending with dry, scraping down between each addition. Take care not to overmix.Step 5
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs and no wet batter. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Invert again onto a serving plate and serve warm with whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream, if you’d like.