New England Apple Cake

 

My mother found this recipe years ago and has made it every year in the fall ever since.  It is really a moist and delicious cake. Prune puree was big in the 90's and it kind of went out of fashion.  It is still very delicious but I don't know if you can find jars of it anymore.  Maybe the baby food aisle.  Or you can easily puree your own.  Add a little water to get it going.  Not too much though. I have used my canned plums as well.

New England Apple Cake

I guess the original recipe is by Geneva Hultenius. You will find the cake seems very dry in the mixing stage.  Doesn't seem like it has enough wet ingredients but it does.  The apples moisten everything as it bakes.

1 cup sugar (I use 3/4 of a cup)
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup prune puree*
1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2teaspoon salt
2 cup chopped apples
1/2  cup chopped walnuts

Topping
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8- X 8-inch square pan and put aside. In large mixing bowl combine sugar, egg, butter and prune puree. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes. Fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix just until flour is moist. Fold in the chopped apples and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of cake batter with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack.

Nutritional information per serving: 240 calories; 4 g fat; 30 mg cholesterol; 240 mg sodium, 49 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein


* Prune puree: Combine 1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) pitted prunes and 6 Tbs hot water in container of food processor, puree until smooth. Makes 1 cup. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 months in a tightly sealed container.