ARMAGNAC PRUNE CAKE

Serves 16

Cake
12 ounces pitted prunes
2 cups water
1/4 cup Armagnac
1 1/2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup Armagnac
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking soda
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Combine prunes, water and Armagnac in heavy saucepan. Simmer until prunes are tender. Drain prunes, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid for the glaze. Coarsely chop prunes.
Beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, spices and salt to blend. Mix dry ingredients into oil mixture.
Add buttermilk, beating just until batter is smooth. Fold in chopped prunes. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer to rack in pan.
For Glaze:
Combine reserved 1/4 cup prune liquid, sugar, butter, Armagnac, corn syrup, lemon juice and baking soda in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 2 minutes. Pierce cake in several places with long wooden skewer. Slowly pour over 1 1/4 cups glaze over hot cake. Reserve extra glaze. Let glazed cake cool in pan 30 minutes.
Turn cake out onto platter.
Cool completely.
Cut cake into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream, passing additional glaze separately as sauce.