CHOCOLATE PRUNE CAKE (LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL)

By curly

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup pitted prunes
• 2 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Chocolate Fudge icing (recipe follows)

Preparation

Step 1

Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Dust lightly with flour; tap out excess.

Pour boiling water over prunes in a small bowl; let stand 30 minutes.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and cinnamon onto wax paper.

Beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer at high speed, 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Combine prunes and soaking liquid and buttermilk in container of electric blender. Cover; whirl at high speed until prunes are chopped, about 30 seconds

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture to sugar and egg mixture, starting and ending with flour. Scrape down side of bowl frequently to blend all ingredients. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until center springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Cool in pan on wire rack. Frost cooled cake with Chocolate Fudge Icing.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING
¼ cup water
¼ cup vegetable shortening
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 cups sifted 10X confectioners sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla

Bring water to boiling in a medium-size saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in shortening and corn syrup until shortening is melted.

Add sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla; mix thoroughly. Beat with wooden spoon until mixture is thick and spreadable. (To hasten thickening, put pan in bowl of ice and water while stirring).