Chocolate and prune cake

Chocolate and prune cake Method 1. Place the prunes and Armagnac or orange juice in a small bowl and set aside for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and flour a 23cm square cake tin.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla essence. In a third bowl, cream together the butter (or margarine) and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg a little at a time, beating between each addition.

Into this bowl, gradually fold in alternate spoons of the flour mixture and the buttermilk mix. Gently stir through the soaked prunes, then spoon into the prepared tin.

Bake for 35–40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.