Ingredients

• Shortbread (6 layers) -- 1 cup butter (no substitute) (250 mL)
• Shortbread -- 1 1/2 cups white sugar (375 mL)
• Shortbread -- 2 eggs
• Shortbread -- 2 tbsp. cream OR evaporated milk (30 mL)
• Shortbread -- 1 tbsp. almond extract (15 mL)
• Shortbread -- 4 cups flour (1 L)
• Shortbread -- 1 tsp. baking powder (5 mL)
• Shortbread -- 1 tsp. ground cardamom seed (5 mL)
• Prune Filling -- 12 oz. pkg. pitted prunes (340 g)
• Prune Filling -- 1/2 cup water in which prunes have been boiled (125 mL)
• Prune Filling -- 1 cup white sugar (250 mL)
• Prune Filling -- 1 tbsp. cinnamon (15 mL)
• Prune Filling -- 1 tsp. vanilla (5 mL)
• Butter Icing -- 1/4 cup butter (60 mL)
• Butter Icing -- 2 cups icing sugar (500 mL)
• Butter Icing -- 1-2 tbsp. milk (15-30 mL)
• Butter Icing -- 1 tsp. almond extract (5 mL)

Directions

1. To make the shortbread layers, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well each time. Add cream and almond extract and beat well.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and ground cardamom and add to creamed mixture a little at a time. You will “need” to “knead” the flour into the mixture. (A dough hook is a great boon in today’s kitchen.)
3. Divide the dough into six equal parts.
4. Line a 9″ (23 cm) square baking pan with foil. Pat one part of the dough into the pan. Remove foil with dough, and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat five times. Bake the final piece of dough in the cake pan.
5. Bake the shortbread at 375°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes, until just lightly browned on the edges. Turn over carefully onto a cooling rack; let cool with the foil on for a couple of minutes, then remove the foil and let cool completely.
6. To make the filling, cover the prunes with water and boil until soft. Add more water if necessary during cooking. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (125 mL) of water.
7. Put prunes and 1/2 cup (125 mL) of water in a blender and process until smooth. (Helen’s grandmother never had it so easy!) A hand blender also works well.
8. Add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to pureed prunes in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cool.
9. Layer cooled shortbread with cooled prune filling, beginning and ending with a shortbread layer.
10. To make the butter icing, mix together all the ingredients until creamy. If the icing is too stiff to spread, add a bit more milk, 1 tsp. (5 mL) at a time. This icing should be a bit on the stiff side.
11. Ice the top of the cake.
12. Wrap the cake in foil or plastic wrap and keep it airtight for 3-4 days. This gives the shortbread layers a chance to soften up.