Spicy Italian Prune-Plum Cake
Submitted by kr
A spiced Bundt cake studded with Italian prune-plums and walnuts, laced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, then finished with a mocha-cocoa frosting. A stunning fall dessert.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minThis cake is an old-world beauty. Tender, buttery crumb loaded with soft Italian prune-plums and chopped walnuts, all wrapped in the warm embrace of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Baked in a Bundt pan, it comes out with that gorgeous fluted shape that looks like you spent all day in the kitchen. You didn’t. The batter comes together in minutes.
But the real showstopper is the frosting. A silky mocha-cocoa buttercream made with hot coffee and cocoa powder drapes over the top and settles into every ridge. Rich, bittersweet, and just barely chocolate.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the plums until they’re soft but still holding their shape. Too mushy and they’ll dissolve into the batter instead of staying as distinct fruity pockets.
- Alternate the flour and milk in thirds when mixing. This keeps the batter smooth and prevents the gluten from overdeveloping.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes before unmolding. Too long and it sticks; too soon and it breaks.
- The frosting should be spreadable but not runny. Add the hot coffee a splash at a time until you hit the right consistency.
Ingredients
Directions
To prepare the cake: Prepare prune-plums and set aside.
Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until mixture is very light.
Sift flour with spices and soda.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk.
Beat only to incorporate the ingredients.
Stir in cooked prune-plums and walnuts.
Turn into prepared pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven 1 hour, or until cake begins to shrink from sides of pan.
Let cool in the pan 5 minutes before unmolding onto a rack.
Let cool completely before frosting.
To prepare the frosting: Cream butter.
Add sugar and cocoa gradually, stirring until well blended.
Add salt.
Stir in coffee, a little at a time.
Add just enough to make the frosting a good spreading consistency.
Beat until fluffy and add vanilla, then frost cake.
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