12 oz Pitted prunes
2 c Water
1/4 c Armagnac or Cognac
1 1/2 c Vegetable oil
2 1/4 c Sugar
5 lg Eggs
2 tb Vanilla extract
3 c All-purpose flour
1 tb Baking soda
2 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
1 ts Ground nutmeg
1 ts Ground allspice
1/2 ts Ground cardamom
1/2 ts Ground cloves
1 ts Salt
1 1/2 c Buttermilk
-GLAZE-
1 1/2 c Sugar
1/4 c Unsalted butter
1/2 c Armagnac or Cognac
2 tb Light corn syrup
2 tb Fresh lemon juice
1 ts Baking soda
OPTIONAL
Vanilla ice cream
FOR CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F.
Butter and flour 12-cup bundt pan. Combine prunes, water and
Armagnac in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer until prunes are tender,
about 15 minutes. Drain prunes, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid for
glaze. Coarsely chop prunes.
Beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. In
medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, spices and salt to blend. Mix dry
ingredients into dry mixture. Add buttermilk, beating until batter is
smooth. Fold in chopped prunes. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes.
Transfer to rack in pan.
FOR GLAZE: Combine reserved 1/4 cup prune cooking liquid, sugar,
butter, Armagnac, corn syrup, lemon juice and baking soda in heavy
large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring
occasionally. Boil
2 minutes.
Pierce cake in several places with long toothpick or wooden skewer.
Slowly pour 1-1/4 cups glaze over hot cake. Reserve extra glaze. Let
glazed cake cool in pan 30 minutes. Turn cake out onto platter. Cool
completely.
Cut cake into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream, passing
additional glaze separately as sauce.
Yields
16 Servings