Vine Torte Or Prune Cake Recipes

OLD FASHIONED PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• I do not use a mixer with this cake. You will need 3 bowls, 1 large mixing bowl and 2 smaller bowls. Put your chopped prunes in one of the small bowls, cover with the cup of buttermilk and set aside. In the large bowl add together the oil, sugar, and eggs mixing well with a spoon. In the other bowl combine the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg and use a wire whisk to mix well.
• Pour the prunes and milk into the large bowl with the sugar, eggs, and oil. Add the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. (I use a wooden spoon). Add vanilla extract and mix. Spray a 9 x 13 cake pan and add the batter. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center of the cake is done. Add the topping recipe below while still warm.

VINE TORTE OR PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• Mix cookie ingredients as for cookies.
• Divide dough into 7 and roll out so it is approx size of 8" cake pan.
• Bake at 350 until slightly browned.
• Cool.
• Cover prunes with water and simmer until tender.
• Drain, reserving at least 1/2 cup of water.
• Put in food processor and add rest of ingredients.
• Process until smooth.
• Return to pot and simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to blend.
• Cool until you can touch it without burning yourself.
• Layer filling between cookies, ending with a cookie.
• (seven cookie layers and six filling layers.) Wrap in wax or parchment paper and then in foil.
• Refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks to cure.
• You know it has sat long enough when the cookie doesn't crumble when you cut it.

VINETERTA

Steps:

• First, prepare the prune filling (this can be done way ahead of time):
• Cover 20-24 ounces of pitted prunes with boiling water in a saucepan.
• Once the prunes are softened, drain the water and put it aside for later.
• Puree prunes in a food processor and put them back into the saucepan.
• Add half cup of the reserved prune water to the puree and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Mix in 1 cup sugar and 2 tspn cinnamon.
• Boil off excess water until the mixture has the texture of jam (we will be spreading it). If the mixture is too thick, add in more reserved prune water.
• Remove from heat.
• Mix in 1 tspn vanilla extract.
• Set aside to cool.
• Next we do the second major section, preparing the layers:.
• Mix the following wet ingredients together in a mixer: 1 cup butter, 1.5 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tspn almond extract, 2 tbsp light cream.
• Mix dry ingredients in another mixing bowl: 4 cups flour, 1 pinch of salt, 1 tspn baking powder, 1/2 cup ground almonds (optional), 1 tspn cardamom (optional).
• Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well in the mixer.
• Remove the doughy mixture from the mixer and knead it around 10 times on countertop until it binds together. You will barely need to knead this, as it is not leavened.
• Chill dough for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
• Spread the dough into six 9" ungreased circular pans with palms until spread evenly across the bottom. If you don not have 6 pans, you can repeat this process 6 times with 1 pan, it will just take longer (or 3 times with 2 pans, et cetera).
• Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. (Jump ahead and do the icing if you are impatient.).
• Pop the layers out of the pans and cool on cooling racks.
• When all 6 layers are complete, assemble layers and prune filling by starting with a layer for the bottom. Spread on 1/5th of your filling onto the base layer, then add another layer cake, add another 1/5th - etc. repeat until your vineterta is complete.
• Prepare your icing by mixing the following with a beater in a mixing bowl: 3 tbsp softened butter, 3/4 cup powdered icing sugar, 2 tspn light cream, 1/4 cup ground almonds (optional), 1/8 tspn almond extract.
• Spread the icing on top of the vineterta.
• Decorate with icing with the sliced almonds.
• Chill everything and let it set.
• This torte may be kept in the fridge for extended length of time and is better for having been "aged" in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks to a month.
• When serving slice into small rectangular pieces (about 2" by 1", or smaller) and serve cold.

UKRAINIAN GREAT GRANDMA'S PRUNE TORTE

Steps:

• Use vegetable spray to butter 5 round layer cake pans (8-inch pans) and dust with flour, remove excess.
• Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the extract, salt, and almonds. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Roll each of them between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper to fit the pan, or pat the dough evenly into the pans gently. Bake in a moderate oven 325 to 350°F for 20 minutes, or until delicately browned. Reduce temperature if it starts to get too brown. Remove from the pans while still hot. Cool. Prepare the filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: Cook the prunes in water just to cover until they plump up. Take prunes out of the liquid, pit them and grind them.
• Bring to the boiling point the ground prunes with the 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and prune liquid. Put the layers together with the warm filling. Let the torte stand for about a day (24 hours) before cutting it. Serve in slices.

UKRAINIAN PRUNE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 5 (8 inch) round pans.
• Grind the blanched almonds in a food processor with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Cream the butter with the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the almond extract, salt, and ground almond mixture. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Roll each piece between 2 sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the pans, or pat each piece of dough into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pans while still hot.
• To make the Prune Filling: Place the prunes in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid. Puree the prunes in a food processor.
• Return the prune puree to the saucepan and add the white sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and 4 tablespoons reserved prune liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat. Assemble the torte layers, spreading them with warm prune filling. Let stand for 24 hours before slicing.

TORTA WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• To poach the prunes: Cut them into bite-sized morsels. Put them in a small saucepan with 1/3 cup of the sugar, the lemon zest, and the wine. Set the pan over medium-low heat, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Let the syrup bubble gently and steadily for 15 minutes or so, reducing slowly, until it has thickened and barely covers the shiny poached prunes. Leave the prunes in the syrup to cool completely, then drain through a sieve, collecting and saving the remaining syrup, about 1/4 cup. (You can poach the prunes hours or a day ahead of time and leave them soaking in the syrup. Drain well before assembling the cake.)
• To make the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350°. Secure the bottom disk in the springform, and grease the inside surfaces with a tablespoon of the soft butter. Stir the bread crumbs and a tablespoon of sugar together. Coat the buttered bottom and sides of the cake pan completely with the crumb mixture, and shake out any loose crumbs.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Put the remaining sugar and butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream together for several minutes on high speed, scraping down the bowl several times, until light and smooth.
• Beat in the egg yolks one at a time; scrape down the bowl, and fluff up the batter on high speed after incorporating each yolk. On low speed, blend in the dry ingredients, mixing just until completely moistened and incorporated.
• In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt to firm peaks, using the whisk attachment or a hand whisk. Stir in a third of the whites to lighten the cake batter, then gently fold in the remainder. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it to fill the springform in a flat, even layer.
• Scatter the drained prune pieces all over the top of the batter, spaced evenly, covering the whole cake. Put the pan in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes (rotating it after 25 minutes), as the batter rises around the prune pieces. When the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, remove the cake to a wire cooling rack. Drizzle the remaining wine syrup all over the top of the warm cake, and let it cool for 1/2 hour or so before loosening and removing the side ring.
• Serve the torta slightly warm or at room temperature, cut in wedges-plain or topped with whipped cream.

PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Add oil, buttermilk and eggs; mix well. Fold in plums and nuts. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from oven and punch holes in top of cake with a wooden skewer or pick. Immediately combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly; pour hot glaze over warm cake. Cool in pan.

VINETERTA (VIENNA TORTE)

Steps:

• Cream butter well, then add sugar gradually, beating hard after each addition. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and cardamom. Add small amount to creamed mixture. Mix in cream and almond extract. Now work in as much flour as possible.
• Turn out onto pastry cloth and knead in any remaining flour. Divide dough into 5 parts and pat each part into a 9-inch greased layer pan. Bake at 375 until delicate brown.
• To assemble filling: Put prunes through food processor or mill, then add sugar, prune liquid and cinnamon. Cook until thickened, then add vanilla.
• Let cool, and then spread between layers of torte.
• Top cake with a thin layer of vanilla icing. Let the torte stand for a couple of days before serving to allow the cake to soften. Serve in small slices.

PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• Combine prunes and water in a microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
• Drain reserving liquid.
• Puree prunes in a food processor or blender.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a large bundt pan.
• In a large bowl blend cake mix, eggs and prune liquid and oil.
• Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in prune puree and beat for 1 more minute.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
• Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.