Eggless Whole Wheat Prune Cake

Cake is for life not just for birthdays.

I read this somewhere and feel it is true. Sometimes, we don’t need any excuse to eat cake. No special occasions needed. Baking cake in itself feels like a celebration of life. Isn’t it?

I come from a family of non-bakers. But, I love baking. Something that I discovered about myself five years back. I love baking with my daughter, now a first grader, even more. She also has a thing for baking, perhaps more than me. It has become our new secret unsaid tradition of sorts, so much that I dare not bake in her absence.

Whenever we bake together, she pulls up her small chair, stands on it for better reach, measures, whisks, stirs, smells, pours the vanilla (her favorite part), at times argues about the measurements being heaped or leveled and always begs to lick the whisk, spatula and the bowl after the batter goes into the pan without an ounce of hesitation. And, I enjoy every aspect of it.

She loves when baking involves chocolate or cocoa powder. Prunes on the other hand, she does not. She squints her eyes and shakes her head in disapproval at the mention of this despised dried fruit.

Cakes are like books, there are new ones you want to read and old ones you want to reread. – Ellen Rose

Often times, we bake banana bread when too many ripe bananas fill the fruit bowl. Although, we are never tired of banana bread, sometimes change does good. I love eating prunes and had always wondered how it might be to bake with them. When we baked this cake, I took the recipe of our favorite banana bread (which I am yet to share with y’all) and simply substituted prunes for bananas.

She kept asking me what the brown purée was and I promised to tell her after the cake comes out of the oven. As the aroma of the cake filled the kitchen and our entire apartment, she could barely sit still. When the cake had cooled down enough to be cut, she demanded for the first bite. Who was I to stop my little picky eater?

She took her first bite and exclaimed “I love this cake Amma”. I asked her to guess the secret ingredient hoping that she’d still like it after knowing what went in.

With her pretty big eyes, she said “Really? Well, I love your Prune Cake Amma!”

While I was still in disbelief, a new favorite had been born, a cake with wholesome ingredients, a “Healthy Cake” and perhaps an oxymoron.

This is such a simple recipe that it can almost be taken for granted.

As for the cake, it is delicious with a hint of cinnamon leaving you wondering what the secret ingredient is. If you are not used to cakes with whole wheat flour, it will feel denser, which it is.

Don’t take my word for it. Give it a try and decide for yourself.