Modern Prune Cupcakes or Modern Prune Cake
These sticky, fluffy cupcakes—or a 9x13 cake, if you prefer—are a modernized take on our Vintage Prune Cake. They combine tangy buttermilk, bright citrus, and sweet California Prunes for a warmly spiced bite that’s rich, nostalgic, and just the right amount of sweet. Whether you bake them as individual cupcakes or one celebratory showstopper, they’re the perfect way to honor the Golden State’s 175th birthday—or any occasion worth celebrating.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups California Prunes
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 6 TBSP buttermilk
- 6 TBSP honey
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 TBSP orange juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Prune Topping
- 1 cup California Zinfandel
- 1 ¼ cup California prunes
- 2 TBSP orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
Instructions
To make as cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in 4 6-count muffin tins. Roughly chop the prunes and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, eggs, and sugar. Fold in the chopped prunes, then add in the buttermilk and ¼ cup of the orange juice. Gently stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture, just until evenly combined, then stir in vanilla extract.
- Divide the batter amongst the prepared cupcake lines, filling each no more than ¾ of the way to the top. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick pulls clean from the center.
- While cupcakes are baking, make the glaze and steeped prune topping.
- In a small saucepan, mix the buttermilk, honey, orange zest, orange juice, granulated and powdered sugars, and baking soda. Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat. Melt in the butter and add vanilla extract, stirring to combine, then keep warm.
- In a separate sauce pan, combine the wine, prunes, orange juice, and orange zest. Heat to a simmer and cook 2-3 minutes, until the prunes have softened.
- Once the cupcakes have baked, remove tins from the oven and poke each cake several times with a fork. Spoon warm glaze over the cupcakes, allow to cool slightly, then repeat two more times.
- Top each cupcake with a wine-steeped prune, and serve warm!
To make as a cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9x13 (23cm x 33cm) pan
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Then use a wire whisk to mix well in a separate bowl.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until baked through.
- While cake is baking, combine all the glaze ingredients and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm until cake is done.
- Remove pan from the oven and poke several times with a fork. Pour the warm glaze over the cake and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 186mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 260IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
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