Date Cake
This Date Cake is a must-make! It's moist, delicious, and loaded with amazing flavor. This simple cake is one that the whole family will love!
Yield: 8
Equipment
- 10-in springform pan (If you use a pan with a smaller diameter, the cake may remain raw from the middle and cooked from the sides, so please do use a 10 in pan.)
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 250 g plump dates with seed 14-15 dates, weight of pitted dates is 230g
- 250 ml boiling water 1 cup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 112 g butter, unsalted, brought to room temperature (½ cup or 1 stick)
- 90 g dark brown sugar ½ cup
- 2 eggs
- 150 g flour 1¼ cup
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- If your dates have seeds, remove them by slicing each date lengthwise with a paring knife and gently pulling out the pit. Finely chop the pitted dates into small pieces for a smooth mixture later. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine the chopped dates and hot water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add the baking soda—it will bubble and froth, which is normal! Stir well using a spatula, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer for 5–7 minutes until it breaks down and thickens into a date paste. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before using. (Tip: Cooling prevents the hot mixture from cooking the eggs in the batter.)
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line the base of a 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper and butter the sides to prevent sticking. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cardamom. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing on low speed with an electric mixer until just combined. Then, add the date puree and continue mixing until the batter is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep the cake moist and gooey. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Flip the cake out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice the cake and serve warm with my crème anglaise, vanilla ice cream, clotted cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Notes
You’ll need a 10-inch pan for this recipe—preferably a springform for easy release, but a regular cake pan works too. Just be sure to line it well with parchment for smooth removal.
Use a large saucepan for the date mixture—trust me, when you add the baking soda and it starts to froth, you don’t want it bubbling over. A little extra space goes a long way!