Mountain Mama: Oatmeal Prune Cake

This is an old fashioned, home made, make you feel good all over, cake. It's absolutely delicious and my family loves it!

The original recipe calls for dates instead of prunes, and this cake works equally well with them, but sometimes they are not available in stores (seasonal item), and prunes are a little cheaper. I also use canola oil in my recipe instead of shortening ... keeps it a little lighter. The recipe came from my sweet mother. I have no idea where she got it from, only that it's a winner!

Oatmeal Prune Cake

1 cup quick oatmeal

1 cup hot water

1 cup finely cut prunes (or dates)

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix oatmeal & 1 cup hot water in a small bowl & let cool. In another small bowl, mix prunes & 1/2 cup hot water & let cool. In a large bowl, cream together: oil, brown sugar & white sugar. Add: 2 beaten eggs & vanilla. Add: oatmeal mixture & dry ingredients alternately. Stir in prune mixture. Pour into a greased & floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees 50-60 or until done. Cool slightly & remove the outer pan wall from cake. Cool completely & invert onto cake plate. Drizzle with icing.

Icing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

1 & 1/2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Bring brown sugar, butter & milk to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Immediately, drizzle the icing over cake. (If you wait too long the icing will be too thick to drizzle.

My mother used a simple powdered sugar & milk glaze for this cake, but I prefer this praline frosting.