Christmas Plum Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Before beginning this recipe, put your prunes in a pan and just cover with water. Let them simmer for a little while until mushy. Turn off pan and let them sit until a little cooler. Then chop them on a cutting board and get started on the recipe.
• First mix together oil, sugar, eggs, pecans and prunes (you might want to say plums -- people get a certain image when you say prune).
• Next, whisk together the soda and buttermilk in a separate bowl or measuring dish. Set that aside and let it get foamy.
• Next sift together the flour and spices. Mix the dry ingredients in with your prune mixture, just until moist. Then fold in the buttermilk mixture until mixed in well.
• Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish. OR you can use smaller tins -- I find one batch can fill 7 mini loaf pans. Bake 9X13 dish for one hour at 350 degrees. Small pans bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Five minutes before your cakes come out of the oven, prepare the glaze: mix together buttermilk, sugar, butter and soda. Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes -- be sure you use a larger pan than you think you need, this mixture really expands! Pour the glaze over your hot cakes once they come out of the oven.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9-inch tube pan.
• Separate the eggs. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and the lemon zest.
• Stir together the flour and baking powder and then blend the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. There will only be a little over an inch of batter. Arrange the plums, skin side down, attractively over the batter.
• Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool before serving.