Chocolate Prune Olive Oil Cake
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 1⅓ cups (167 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
  • ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup (73 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (1 gram) instant espresso powder
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
  • ¾ cup (180 grams) whole milk, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup (176 grams) prune purée (see Notes)
  • ½ cup (112 grams) olive oil (not extra-virgin)
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) tightly packed orange zest
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice
  • 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoons (9 grams) vanilla bean paste
  • Silky Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; dust sides of pan with cocoa, tapping out excess.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, sugars, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and baking soda; use a silicone spatula or whisk to help press all of mixture through.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, prune purée, oil, orange zest and juice, eggs, and vanilla bean paste. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined and no flour pockets remain. (Do not overmix.) Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release any air bubbles.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 36 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around edges of cake. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. Level cooled cake, if desired. Using a small offset spatula, spread Silky Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake, swirling as desired.
Notes
To make prune purée, place 6 ounces (170 grams) roughly chopped California prunes (about 1 cup) in a medium heatproof bowl. Add ½ cup (120 grams) boiling water, pressing down prunes until they’re mostly submerged. Let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer prune mixture to the container of a blender; process until a paste forms, stopping to scrape sides of container. (It’s OK if flecks of prune remain.) A food processor can also be used.

Any extra prune purée makes a great addition to other treats and snacks like smoothies, oatmeal, or peanut butter and honey sandwiches.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://bakefromscratch.com/chocolate-prune-olive-oil-cake/