Prune Cake RecipeFar Breton is the name of this very easy prune cake recipe. It is a specialty of the Brittany region (or La Bretagne) of France. You will be very pleased with how quick it is to go together and that it is a relatively healthy sort of dessert, lower in fat than many, and including delicious prunes, which, as you probably know, get glowing nutritional reviews. Brittany, France
Brittany is in the north west of France on the Atlantic seaboard. It occupies a peninsula of land with the
Bay of Biscay to the south and the English Channel to the north. This rugged coastal region bears a distinct
Celtic flavor in its traditions, language and food, testimony to its proximity to Britain. It is a land
that has been peopled by fishermen and their families for centuries.
If you're in the mood for a good read
with the authentic flavor of Bretagne, you may enjoy
A Gift from Brittany: A Memoir of Love and Loss in the French Countryside Far - A French Cake RecipeFar is an odd French word. In a general sort of way it means cake. Although you can find other kinds of fars made in France (notably the far du Poitou, which is made with cabbage, spinach, eggs and a lot of other yummy things), this prune cake recipe is by "far" the most common. The far in this case is similar to a flan, but I would say it is more compact then other flans I have had.French PrunesIn France, plums are known as prunes and prunes are known as pruneaux. I'm sure this has confused more than one English speaking visitor. Here in France we can buy luscious, plump prunes known as les Pruneaux d'Agen .
Agen is an important canal and riverfront town on the Gar, halfway between Toulouse and Bordeaux in the southwestern region of Aquitaine. Plums have been grown and shipped from here for centuries. In the 19th century trees from this region were introduced into California agriculture, beginning a thriving prune industry that persists to this day in the Golden State These days in France Agen prunes are distinguished by a sort of geographical designation given by the European Union. Only prunes made from a specific area can be marked pruneaux d'Agen and, as with most appellations, this should guarantee you a certain level of quality. These prunes are made from Ente plums that have been allowed to reach peak maturity on the tree and carefully dried to preserve the maximum of sugars. It is the quantity of sugar that determines the juiciness and tastiness of the prune. Although I do recommend them, you don't need to use Agen prunes to make this prune cake recipe. Do be sure
you use quality prunes however. They should be plump, shiny and juicy. If you'd like, serve your Far Breton
with Sparkling Apple Cider
Far Breton
In the microwave, melt the butter in the bottom of a two quart or so baking dish. Tip the pan and swirl the butter so that it coats evenly the bottom and sides. Pour the batter into the pan and add the floured prunes (the flour should help to keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom, but if they are large, they'll sink anyway. Don't worry, it still tastes great). Bake for 30 minutes at 400° F. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for 30 more minutes. We like this prune cake recipe best when warm, maybe two hours after it has come out of the oven. However, it is also good cold and makes a nice breakfast if you have leftovers. You can sprinkle the top with powdered sugar after the far has cooled some. Variations on this prune cake recipe:
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by Marjorie Price, a book about an American woman artist and her life in rural France.
as it is often done in Brittany.
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