I know that prunes and walnuts are not per se typically French, but I can't help thinking that this combination is evocative of the South of France, where both prunes and walnuts are being grown -though not always close to one another- and celebrated not just for their health properties but also for their tastes.
This is a recipe I adapted from this blog (and their book). I have modified it a little after I made it once, long ago.
This is a cake (pronounced kek, ha ha, French for loaf cake) that will be like a good friend to you, a rustic friend that will comfort with a cup of tea, that will be a perfect substitute for your usual breakfast, that is hearty without being rich and that will transport you to the heart of France, the land of fattened ducks and black truffles, where old men still walk around with bérets (and often a baguette too). Perhaps I have chosen to bake it today because I long to visit my parents' home again? This is made with the walnuts they always thoughtfully buy at a small farm when en route to visit us.
Because of the long baking time at a medium temperature, the crust almost turns intoshortbread and the crumb stays tight and tender. It is easier to slice if using a serrated knife otherwise the prunes can be slightly annoying but the crumb will stay put.
120 g butter, melted
2 eggs
180 g sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar or 1 tsp extract
1 tsp rum
250 g flour (I used 200 g plain and 50 g whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
200 g prunes, stoned
100 g walnuts
Preheat the oven at 180°C /160° fan.
Beat well the eggs with the sugars then add the butter, rum and mix.
Add the flour and before it is entirely incorporated, add the fruit and nuts ( a slight coating of flour will prevent them falling down to the bottom while baking). Mix well.
Spoon into a loaf tin and bake for 55-70 minutes. A skewer will come out with no raw mix sticking to it though it might not be dry if you hit a prune.
This is a recipe I adapted from this blog (and their book). I have modified it a little after I made it once, long ago.
This is a cake (pronounced kek, ha ha, French for loaf cake) that will be like a good friend to you, a rustic friend that will comfort with a cup of tea, that will be a perfect substitute for your usual breakfast, that is hearty without being rich and that will transport you to the heart of France, the land of fattened ducks and black truffles, where old men still walk around with bérets (and often a baguette too). Perhaps I have chosen to bake it today because I long to visit my parents' home again? This is made with the walnuts they always thoughtfully buy at a small farm when en route to visit us.
120 g butter, melted
2 eggs
180 g sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar or 1 tsp extract
1 tsp rum
250 g flour (I used 200 g plain and 50 g whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
200 g prunes, stoned
100 g walnuts
Preheat the oven at 180°C /160° fan.
Beat well the eggs with the sugars then add the butter, rum and mix.
Add the flour and before it is entirely incorporated, add the fruit and nuts ( a slight coating of flour will prevent them falling down to the bottom while baking). Mix well.
Spoon into a loaf tin and bake for 55-70 minutes. A skewer will come out with no raw mix sticking to it though it might not be dry if you hit a prune.
Comments
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Prune and walnut cake
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Prune and walnut cake