Wednesday 17 July 2013

Banana and Pitted Prune Butter Cake


I am not a fan of prunes in spite of it's high content of vitamins and minerals. And of course, we know what prunes are good for, right? I eat lots of vegetables, so I don't need help in that area :)



I bought a packet of Sunsweet Prunes last year because I wanted to try Chef Wan's Prune Cake (that is my next project). But as usual, that packet of prunes sat in my pantry for the longest time. So when my partner brought home a huge comb of bananas (pisang berangan) I had to find ways to use them because they were ripening pretty fast. 



This recipe again comes from Lovely Butter Cakes, a cookbook my partner's son picked for me when the young man was desperately trying to top up another RM20.00 at Popular Bookstore. It was a very good choice and I realised that this is the first time ever that I have baked so many cakes from one book :)



When I spotted Banana and Pitted Prune Butter Cake, it was perfect as I could use the bananas and prunes which were going to expire in a month or two. And this cake did not disappoint. The cake however, took forever to bake. At 45 minutes, the centre was still wobbly even though the cake was already quiet brown. Maybe that's because I baked it in a loaf pan. This cake was supposed to be baked in small liners. Anyhow, I tented the cake with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning. After 1 hour and 5 minutes, the cake was done looking like this :


Overbrowned.
I was quiet worried that it would taste burnt. But after slicing the two ends off and tasting a slice, I was relieved. The yummy sweet bananas was offset by the tangy prunes. I loved it! Though not pretty like the Banana Apricot Cake, it tasted way, way, better. Yes, this cake will definitely be repeated in the future. Hmm...bananas and prunes, you are guaranteed to get up and go the next day!










Banana and Pitted Prune Butter Cake
Recipe source : Adapted from Lovely Butter Cakes (page 35)
My notes and adaptations in red.

Ingredients A
- 240g butter (I whacked the whole 250g slab of butter)
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 250g bananas, mashed
- 100g prunes (cut to quarters)

Ingredients B (Sifted)
- 150g self raising flour
- 90g plain flour
Note : I used 250g self-raising flour

Topping (I omitted)
- 2 bananas (cut into wedges)
- 5 pitted prunes (cut into halves)

Method :
1. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, egg yolks and flour, gently beat until well combined.
2. Add mashed bananas and pitted prunes, mix well.
(I beat butter and sugar first and then followed by eggs one by one. Then I added bananas and prunes and lastly added flour. I was afraid to follow the book method because I might mess up).
3. Pour the mixture into paper moulds and arrange bananas and prunes on top.
4. Bake in prehaeated oven at 175C for 25 minutes.
(I poured the batter into a lined and buttered loaf pan. Took me 1 hour 5 minutes for the cake to be done)





This post is linked to Cook-Your-Books #2 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

54 comments:

  1. Hi Phong Hong,

    This cake sounds very "powerful" in its fiber contents. It looks very powerful in its taste and buttery texture too :D

    Zoe

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    1. Zoe, I loved this cake and was surprised that I could accept the prunes!

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  2. Looks yummy! Let us exchange, long time I didn't bake a butter cake. That is my all time favourite. I also have a packet of sun sweet prunes in the fridge. May be I should try this!

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    1. Jozelyn, do try this cake or maybe you keep your prunes for my next cake. It is even yummier than this one. Will post soon :)

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    2. Then I keep my prunes until your next post!

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  3. Hi Phong Hong,
    This is my kinda cake! It has prunes in them, I love prunes in bakes! And I have this very book which I bought ages ago, but have never tried anything from it yet! Thanks for the reminder!
    Your cake looks lovely and delicious!

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    Replies
    1. Joyce, this book has very good recipes you should get started! There are a few more in the pipeline that I want to try. Thanks to your event, I am really very motivated!

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  4. tempting! hihi..bulan puasa ni kurma je banyak kat rumah i..ganti ngan kurma pun jadi jgk kan PH? hihi..

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    1. Cik Wan, kurma pun best jugak kalau buat kek ni! Cuba lah, tak rugi. Sedap habis :)

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  5. What a moist and lovely cake with prunes. Looks perfect for my tea break.

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  6. wow... kek PH nampak sgt moist! i like banana.. i like prunes as well.. so kalau PH nak kongsi separuh kek tu pun i rela.. hihihi...

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    1. MaDiHaA, no problem kita boleh kongsi! PH nak rasa MaDiHaA punya puding pelangi hee..hee...

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  7. This cake looks moist and buttery, nice to go with my favourite latte..

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    1. Cecilia, this cake is indeed moist and buttery. I love the combination of banana and prunes :)

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  8. I have tried your orange/chocolate marble cake and it was fabulous! This is another good looking recipe....got to try this when I have bananas lying around...prunes are not easy to come by my house so maybe I'll substitute with currants:D

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    1. Jeannie, I guess currants would be just as good. Glad you loved the orange choc cake. I must bake it again soon.

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  9. Hi PH, kek tu nampak sangat lembut, moist dan mula saya bayangkan keenakannya...i love prunes too..!

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    1. Hi Ummi, kek ni memang sangat moist dan enak sekali. Makan satu keping tak cukup :)

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  10. Hello, my dear Phong Hong, miss me or not, hehehe! I can't believe that I have stopped blogging for 5 weeks. Anyway, I'm back now & thanks for the visit. Your cake looks very moist there! Banana + Prune, no problem to poo poo, apalah, jessie is so naughty!

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    1. Of course I missed you Jessie! Hah! Hah! After eating the cake, next day very smooth....

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  11. again, looks very soft and delicious!

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  12. Wow!Another nice butter cake!!!Love to try this recipe :)Yummy!

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    1. Esther, I never realised that prunes could taste so good!

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  13. Ph !!nak sikit.malam-malam ni Cm dapat makan :)...kek ni nampak lembab.Yum yum

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    1. CM, boleh, boleh! Kek ni sedap lah. Best juga untuk buka puasa.

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  14. Hi hi PH! So how's your bowels? LOL!

    I miss home baked cake... need to push wife a bit more!! :D

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    1. Alvin, my bowels are in tip top shape hah! hah! Oh, you must feature your wife's bakes and share with us :)

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  15. looks yummy Phong Hong you are very gajen you can bake a birthday cake for your mum and also a cheese cake for me .Deal?

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  16. Phong Hong, I really love this version of your banana cake. Love the addition of the prunes. The cake is so amazingly moist and super delicious. I must make this soon!

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! This cake actually surprised me because I did not expect to like the prunes. But I am so glad I gave it a chance because I loved the cake!

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  17. Hi PH! OH my oh my... This loaf cake looks absolutely moist. Though I am not a huge fan of prunes, I definitely will give this a go. Now am off to catch up on my reading. ♥ Jo

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    1. Hi Jo! Surprisingly the prunes tasted pretty good in the cake. But I won't be eating prunes on their own, only in cakes hee..hee...

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  18. If I bake this cake, I have to finished by myself as my kids doesn't like prunes. I think I just few slices from here, ok? Hehehe..now I realized you sudah pandai bake cake, good for you.

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    1. Hee..hee..thank you, Sonia! I am still learning lah. Very soon must try buns and breads :)

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  19. Phong hong, nice cake. Pruns i am ok, but not eat too much. before i also bake with prune but a chopped them in small pieces also good taste.

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    1. xing hui, now I like prune cakes. Last time I thought it was horrible. I have changed my mind :)

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  20. I love prune cakes...steamed ones!

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    Replies
    1. Oh, then I must find a steamed prune cake recipe to try!

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  21. The cake looks beautiful! Interesting combination :)

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  22. Am not fond of prune on its own. Would take me forever to finish a packet. But I dont mind if its in a cake.

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    1. Same here. In cake it actually taste very good. But I still won't eat it on its own.

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  23. I love this cake look absolutely amazing and delicious!xo

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    1. Thanks, Gloria! Try it, simple but delicious.

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  24. Oh YUM! This cake looks so inviting & rich! Love the dense texture , great with a cup of kopi or teh tarik oso can ! LOL

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    1. Kit, I love this cake so much now! Yes, kopi or teh tarik would be great :)

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  25. Hi Phong Hong, your this cake look awesome. The texture look very moist, great combination. I need to go make coffee already.... you need one? LOL

    Best regards.

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  26. hi phong hong, i also made a banana cake today..some really took long to complete, mine also took about 1 hr and 10 mins to bake!

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    1. Hi Lena, I love banana cake! Yah, sometimes so sian waiting for the cake to be done. Keep poking and every time, still got batter stuck there.

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  27. Pitted prunes offer a plethora of health benefits. Rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, they support digestive health, aid in regulating blood sugar levels, and promote bone health. Additionally, prunes are packed with antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Incorporating pitted prunes into your diet is a delicious and nutritious way to enhance your overall well-being.
    https://theboyo.com/products/dried-pitted-prunes-unsweetened-200g





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