I have never been a lover of prunes; not at all. But a few months ago when my friend KC reached out and asked if I could photograph a few prune recipes for her I said yes. I’ll admit the mention of a chocolate ganache cake recipe peaked my interest, but I can honestly say that what I’m about to write shocks me - even now. I LOVE prunes and I REALLY LOVE THIS CHOCOLATE COVERED PRUNE CAKE RECIPE !!!
But to be fair, this chocolate cake recipe is different. Very Different.
Covered in a delicious chocolate ganache, this chocolate fudge cake makes an absolutely incredible paleo dessert. That's right, I said paleo - naturally sweetened, no refined sugar, no processed sugar - just an incredible chocolate fudge cake that most everyone can enjoy.
{{ The recipe for this Chocolate Covered Prune Fudge Cake recipe and the post that goes with it was made in partnership with California Prunes! We received compensation and product in exchange for it. Opinions are always our own. If we don’t love it, you don’t hear about it. Thanks for your continued support! }}
I have to admit I was NOT super excited about cooking with prunes and I definitely didn't think that my new favorite dessert would come from this project either!
Truth is, I sort of feel silly now that I have worked my way through this project... silly because I've really been missing out all of these years ignoring the deliciousness of prunes! I have always loved using dates as a natural sweetener in my recipes, but honestly due to my preconceived notions of what feasting on desserts laced with prunes would do to my body, I never really even thought of giving them a try. Also, not being paleo, I wasn't chomping at the bit to create a paleo dessert - but I am super impressed. Who needs refined sugar? Not me. And not this chocolate ganache cake recipe!
Paleo snack of the Gods
Not to be over the top, but being able to cut out refined sugar and replace it with a natural sweetener other than dates was a game-changer. In case you're wondering what exactly a prune is - a plum? Something else? Let me tell you that in the prune vs. plum debate, everyone is a winner. They are the same thing. Simply put, a prune is a dried plum. So why use prunes? Well, not only are they delicious but prunes are also good for you.
Prune Benefits
Yes, prunes are nutritious, containing not only vitamins and minerals, but also fiber and antioxidants that help reduce the risk of chronic disease. In addition, they are relatively low in calories and contain more of some nutrients than their fresh-off-the-tree counterparts - like vitamin B, vitamin K and fiber. The higher levels of fiber are also thought to help lower your blood sugar as it can slow the rate your body absorbs carbs after a meal. Who would have thought a chocolate cake recipe with decadent chocolate ganache could be both delicious and (kind of) nutritious?
All in all I tested, photographed, and created a handful of recipes for California Prunes. We ate a whole bunch of prunes during the process and turns out, my worst fear of a prune filled chocolate fudge cake blow out was actually just that...a fear. A fear that never turned into anything, but actually robbed me of what could have been a life long love of prune filled treats!
While I might not be at the point where I eat prunes straight from the bag, I will gladly sneak them into as many dishes as I can because their natural, subtle sweetness has me hooked! And in case you were wondering, yes, this chocolate ganache cake recipe is a new standard at our house.
Looking for more delicious ways to infuse prunes into your daily life?
The Most Delicious Snack Cake Recipe || This is seriously the most delicious snack cake recipe on the internet! At least, in my family’s opinions it is and trust me, we’ve done a lot of research over the years. This gluten free snack cake recipe calls for basic pantry ingredients, only needs one bowl to mix, and uses less sugar than traditional snack cake recipes thanks to the help of a top secret ingredient! Oh and did I mention that it also bakes in about half the time of other popular snack cake recipes because it is made in a loaf pan?
If you’ve made this Chocolate Covered Prune Fudge Cake I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below, I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours.
PrintChocolate Covered Prune Fudge Cake
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think about this Chocolate Covered Prune Fudge Cake in the comments below, I just love hearing from you and your reviews/comments really help other people that visit This Mess is Ours!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-inch cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the cake:
coconut oil spray
14 tablespoons butter, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup cocoa powder
10 soft, pitted prunes, chopped small
⅓ cup maple syrup
6 eggs
½ cup coconut sugar
1 cup almond meal
For the ganache:
1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1 ⅓ cup dark chocolate morsels
Instructions
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly spray the bottom and side of a 8-inch round springform pan with coconut oil spray. Place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and lightly spray it with coconut spray as well.
Place the butter and vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a sieve to sift the cocoa into the pan with the butter. Stir with a spatula until completely smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Place the prunes and maple syrup into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “s” blade. Top with the cooled butter mixture then process until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, being sure to scrape all of the chocolate mixture from the food processor with a spatula.
Place the eggs and coconut sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 7 minutes or until tripled in volume.
Add one-third of the egg mixture to the bowl with the chocolate mixture. Using your spatula, gently fold together until completely combined. Add the almond flour and the remaining egg mixture to the bowl and gently fold to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes or until set. (This cake gets fudgier as it sets so a test skewer inserted into the center will not come out clean.) Once cooked through transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool completely in the pan.
To make the ganache:
Combine the coconut milk and the dark chocolate morsels in the top of a double boiler, melt together until completely smooth. Pour the prepared ganache over the cake, you will have some left over. Serve immediately for a molten fudge effect or allow to completely set.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 418
- Sugar: 25.3 g
- Sodium: 99.4 mg
- Fat: 30.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.1 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 128.6 mg
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Hilda Vera says
This cake is surprisingly delicious not overwhelming sweet and the taste of the prunes is subtle. Recommend it oh the ganache with coconut milk is awesome!
meg@thismessisours says
I am so glad you enjoyed it Hilda!!! That ganache is great with strawberries dipped in it too!!
Kayla snow says
When this says coconut milk, does that mean refrigerated coconut milk or in a can
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Kayla! Great question. Canned. I will update the recipe so that it is clearer for others. Thank you!