The Recipe

Serves: 6-8 people
Preparation: overnight
Baking Time: 45 minutes

This lusciously indulgent cake is made with some absolutely delicious Aqua Vitae from Lindores Abbey Distillery in Fife, Scotland. If you can, get your hands on this balanced malt spirit with a myriad of balanced fruit, spices and locally grown herbs.

If you can’t do so, this recipe can be substituted with rum or even a whisky.

INGREDIENTS

Aqua Vitae Prunes
200g pitted prunes
100mls Lindores Abbey aqua vitae (if not, a dark rum, whiskey)
1 tblsp sugar
Combine all ingredients and soak for a minimum of two days until the prunes are deliciously plump and juicy.

Ingredients - Cake
200g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
3 eggs
60g cocoa
¼ tsp sea salt
250g plain flour
1.5tsp baking powder
100g dark melted chocolate (65% or more)

Dark Chocolate Ganache
300g dark chocolate (70%), chopped into bits
300g cream
1 tbsp honey

METHOD

Heat the cream on a medium setting and melt in the chocolate and honey until combined Take off the heat and allow to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 180 °Celsius and grease and line a round 20cm (ish) cake tin.
Strain the prunes, reserving the liquid, and roughly chop the prunes.
In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Crack the eggs in a separate bowl individually before mixing them into the creamed butter mixture until combined. At this stage, you can add the reserved liquid from the soaked prunes.
Sift the cocoa, baking powder, salt, and cocoa in a separate bowl.
Mix the melted chocolate into the wet mixture and then fold in the dry ingredients
Place the batter in the lined cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes
When the cake is done, allow to cool slightly before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Dress the cooled cake with the ganache on top or just the sides, whatever you fancy
Cut into not-so-generous slices as this cake is sumptuously rich, you can always go back for a second – don’t worry, I won’t judge.