Chocolate Prune & Cognac Cake

By á-595

Dave's Favorite! - Rich chocolate cake with cognac and prunes.

Ingredients

• Prune mixture:
• 3/4 lb pitted prunes - cut into rasin size.
• 1/3 cup Cognac
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• Cake:
• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 5 tbsp Cognac
• 2 tsp instant coffee
• 14 tbsp unsalted butter - cut into tablespoons
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 14 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 5 egg yolks
• Step 2:
• 5 eggs whites
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cream of tarter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Glaze:
• 6 tbsp whipping cream
• 4.5 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
• 3 tbsp cognac

Preparation

Step 1

Prunes:
Combine prunes, 1/3 cup cognac & 3 tbsp sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 2 hours.

Cake:
Melt chocolate with 5 tbsp cognac & coffee in a heavy 2qt saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in butter 1 tbsp at a time. Mix in 3/4 cup sugar, flour, cinnamon, and allspice. Blend in yolks. Cool mixture slightly.

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter 8-10 cup bundt pan dust with flour.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, salt, & cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp at a time & beat until almost stiff but not dry.

Whisk chocolate mixture to loosen. Gently fold in 1/4 whites. Gently fold back into remaining whites. Gently fold in prune mixture.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake until center if firm about 45min- 1 hour. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Cool on rack compeletely. Wrap tight and let stand overnight.

Glaze:
Bring cream to simmer in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Add Cognac. Cool until glaze mounds slightly on spoon. Spoon glaze over cake. Allow glaze to drip down sides. Let stand until set.