Maple-Glazed Prune Ginger Cake
This Maple-Glazed Prune Ginger Cake is sure to impress. Perfect for special occasions or as a luxurious treat, it's a conversation starter, a centerpiece, and maybe, just maybe, a new tradition.
Equipment
- 11-inch (28cm) heavy skillet
- electric hand mixer
Ingredients
For the Prune Topping
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
- 1 lb Prunes quartered
- 1 TBSP roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves plus some small leaves for garnish
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
For the Cake Batter
- 8 large eggs yolks and whites separated
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
- 3 cups favorite GF cake flour blend
- 1 cup honey
- 2 TBSP finely chopped ginger
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
For the Maple Glaze
- 3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP coconut milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
Instructions
MAKE THE PRUNE TOPPING
- Warm the coconut oil over medium heat in an 11-inch (28cm) heavy skillet (I like cast iron here). Add the prunes and rosemary and give everything a quick stir. Cook until the prunes start to soften, and the rosemary smells fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the maple syrup and simmer gently until it reduces by half and the prunes are soft but still hold their shape, 2 to 3 minutes. You will notice the bubbles get smaller and turn golden. Be careful not to reduce the syrup too much—this will become the cake topping, so you want a thin layer of sauce covering the entire bottom of the pan. Keep warm while you make the cake batter.
MAKE THE CAKE BATTER AND BAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180C) and move an oven rack to the center position. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, coconut oil, flour blend, honey, ginger, vanilla, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment), whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer on medium speed or whisk by hand with some elbow grease until frothy, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and whip on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes more.
- One third at a time, fold the egg whites into the flour mixture with a flexible spatula (fold gently so you maintain the air you whipped into them), making sure the batter is a single uniform color with no streaks of white before the next addition.
- Pour and scrape the prepared cake batter into the skillet with the topping, spreading it evenly over the prune mixture. Bake on the center rack until the cake registers 200°F (95C) in the center, about 30 minutes.
MAKE THE MAPLE GLAZE AND SERVE
- While the cake bakes, bring the coconut milk to a lively simmer in a small saucepan over high heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the coconut milk thickens to a creamy, saucy consistency (it’ll just barely coat a spoon), about 8 minutes. Whisk in the maple syrup and salt and keep simmering, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to about 1/3 cup (it’ll have the consistency of melted ice cream), about 5 minutes more. The glaze thickens as it cools, so be careful not to let it thicken too much. Turn off the heat and keep warm until the cake is ready.
- Once the cake is ready, run a knife around the edges to make sure it releases from the pan.
- Grab a large plate or lightweight cutting board that’s slightly larger than the pan and invert the plate onto the pan. Protecting your hands from the hot pan with oven mitts or a kitchen towel, firmly grab the sides of both the pan and plate and swiftly invert the pan onto the plate or board.
- Let the pan rest on top while cake sits on the counter for a few seconds, then carefully remove the pan, slowly lifting from one side, then the other, to expose the cake. If any prunes have stuck to the pan, dislodge them and use them to cover any of the cake’s bald spots. Drizzle the warm maple caramel to glaze the cake, garnish with the small rosemary leaves, and serve.
- The cake is best warm from the oven, but keeps for up to 5 days, covered, at room temperature. It reheats well and the slices toast nicely, too.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 338mgFiber: 4gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 340IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 2mg