Christmas Treats: Vinaterta

I had great ambition this year. I thought I was going to somehow find the time to create beautiful baked treats for family and friend, and help  my mom with her Christmas dinner, preparing homemade perogies and other special sides. So far, not much luck. What I have managed to bake, my family has managed to eat, so very little in the way of "giftgiving" was actually acheived. And with the sad realization the perogies would not be handmade this year I thought, Ok, can't do perogies, maybe I'll make my Dad the chocolate chiffon cake he's been (not-so-subtley) hinting for. As we speak a deflated Chocolate Chiffon Cake is mocking me in my oven. Another "Charlie Brown" cake is about to make its way to the Hemminger household.

The one treat I did manage to make that reminds me of Christmas' at my Grandma and Grandpa's house is Vinaterta. My grandmother started making this Icelantic treat for my Uncle many years ago. It is a layered cake, the cake is almost like a shortbread, with a sweet prune filling (I can see that face your making. "Prunes? Yuck" But seriously, this is probably my favorite thing in the entire world, and if I didn't tell you it was prunes, you wouldn't know).

So, here is a very coveted family recipe. Mine isnt nearly as pretty as my grandmother's perfectly layered cake, but it all tastes the same.

Guess I'll see how many of my relatives are actually reading this now :)

Vinaterta

Cake:
1 cup butter
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1-1/2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp sweet cream
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cardamon seed

Directions: Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and cardamon. Add to wet mixture.

Divide dough into 6 equal parts. Press each into a 9" cake tin (greased and floured) and bake at 375F for 12-15 minutes. Remove from tin when warm and let cool on wire rack. (they will harden)

Filling:
1 lbs prunes
2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Directions: Boil the prunes until softened. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup "prune water". Blend the prunes, water, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth.


To Assemble:  Once both the cakes and the filling have cooled, assemble the vinaterta by layering cake then filling. My mom always has said Grandma used to let her cake sit a few days to "cure". To serve, it is best to cut the cake when it is frozen/cool as the layers hold better and the slices come out cleaner.

SO YUMMY! Hope you enjoy!