Chocolate Prune Cake

Here’s the thing about prunes in cake: they do something that no amount of butter or oil can replicate. They make the crumb so deeply moist it borders on pudding-like, and they add a subtle fruity sweetness that rounds out the cocoa beautifully.

This bundt cake is deceptively simple. Cut-up prunes get sprinkled with baking soda, doused with boiling water, and left to cool into a soft, jammy slurry. That mixture goes straight into the food processor with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and cocoa.

A few pulses and you’re done. Pour it in the pan and let the oven work its magic.

Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar and serve it with afternoon tea or coffee. No frosting needed.

Chef Tips

• Cut the prunes into small pieces so they dissolve more completely into the batter
• The baking soda softens the prunes and helps them break down; don’t skip this step
• Use the food processor’s pulse function to avoid overmixing, which can make the cake tough
• This cake actually improves overnight as the flavors meld, so bake it a day ahead if you can