Chocolate Date Cake I Recipes

Steps:

• Place dates and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water; cool completely. , In another large bowl, cream shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, salt and remaining baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with date mixture., Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar; top with chocolate chips and nuts. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
• Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Steps:

• Make the chai ice cream, if desired: Combine milk, tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into the mixture using the back of a knife, then add pod to mixture and bring to a boil. Cover and let steep at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Prepare an ice bath. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. While whisking, slowly add a little of the warm milk mixture into the yolk mixture to temper. Continue this process until all of the milk mixture has been added. Pour mixture back into pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. The custard should retain a line drawn across the back of the spoon with your finger. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl set in the ice bath; discard solids. Add cream and stir occasionally until cooled. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions until set but not hard. Transfer soft ice cream to a container and freeze at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder and flour, tapping out excess. In a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl, combine dates, hot water, coffee, and cocoa and let stand 10 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Using an immersion blender, puree the date mixture until smooth. Add baking soda and stir to combine.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and dark-brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat well to combine (batter will look curdled). Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the date mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the chocolate.
• Transfer the batter to prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Bring butter, dark-brown sugar, date syrup, salt, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in cream. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth.
• Transfer cake pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, and let cool 20 minutes (the cake should still be warm). Poke cake all over with a skewer or toothpick. Pour half of the glaze into the bottom of the pan and return cake to pan. Pour remaining glaze over top and allow to soak into cake, about 20 minutes. Invert cake onto plate or cake stand and serve warm or at room temperature with chai ice cream, if desired.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring dates and bourbon to a simmer; cook, stirring, until almost all of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; cover and let cool. Purée in a food processor until smooth. (You should have about 1 cup.)
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment. Dust pan with cocoa, tapping out any excess.
• In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in 2/3 cup date purée. Let cool; whisk in egg yolks, kosher salt, and cinnamon.
• Beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold one-third of whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer to prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until set, cracking a bit on edges, and shiny in center, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Run a paring knife around sides of pan; remove from pan and transfer to a cake plate.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let boil, without stirring, until deep golden brown, swirling pan to color evenly, and washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to keep crystals from forming, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully pour in cream (it will spatter), stirring to combine. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup date purée. Pass caramel through a fine sieve to remove lumps. Let cool until thick but pourable, about 30 minutes.
• Pour caramel over cake, spreading with an offset spatula so it drips over sides. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Slice cake with a knife dipped in hot water, then wiped down between slices; serve with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a mixing bowl or small saucepan, pour the boiling water over the chopped dates. Set aside. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the flour mixture. Add in the dates with the soaking liquid, and stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• In an another bowl, combine the chocolate chips, walnuts, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Sprinkle mixture over top of cake. and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

Steps:

• In large bowl, pour boiling water on dates. Stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda. Cool about 15 minutes or until lukewarm.
• In small bowl, mix all topping ingredients; set aside.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Stir all cake ingredients into date mixture. Pour into ungreased 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with topping.
• Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 2 hours.