Date Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-round cake pans or 20 muffin tins.
• Place the dates in large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups cold water. Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Then leave to simmer for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Stir in the baking soda (which will cause the mixture to bubble up).
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt and mix briefly to give a lumpy dough.
• Next, add the warm date mixture in two batches. Scrape down the sides of bowl in between mixing. The dough will now be quite watery but don't worry! Finally add the baking powder (this will bubble up also).
• Pour the batter evenly into the two pans or muffin tins. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes for cake pans and about 20 minutes for muffin tins. Test if they are cooked with a small knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when cakes are done.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer gently for a minute or two until thickened and well blended.
• When the cakes are done, poke little holes all over with toothpick, this will enable the sauce to be absorbed more easily. Pour the caramel sauce over cakes while both are still warm and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out upside-down onto serving plates (the bottom is the most sticky bit!).
• Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees and butter an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan.
• In a small pot, combine dates, lemon juice and 3/4 cup/180 milliliters water. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer gently until dates soften and start to fall apart, about 6 minutes. Add currants to the pot and set aside to cool completely.
• While date mixture cools, stir together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla and cooled date mixture, followed by flour mixture.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly and smoothing the surface. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
• Meanwhile, make the sticky toffee: In a small pot (you can use the same one you used for the dates), combine agave, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Once sugar dissolves and bubbles, remove from heat and swirl in butter.
• When the cake comes out of the oven, spoon half the sticky toffee over it and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. (It will soak into the cake.)
• When the cake has cooled completely and the remaining sticky toffee has thickened, spread it over the cake with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve. Store, loosely wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. Set aside. Put dates in a bowl with soda and pour boiling water on top. Set a side.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar, 2 1/2 cups flour and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Add egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt and tablespoon butter. Mix to combine. Finally, stir in chopped dates with liquid. Mix well. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cake will pull away from sides of pans and be golden brown.
• In a medium saucepan, combine buttermilk, 1 cup sugar, pinch of salt and 4 tablespoons flour. Cook on medium heat until thickened. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and remaining cup of walnuts.
• Spread mixture between layers and on top of cake. Let filling run down the sides of cake.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Add the dates, baking soda and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until greatly reduced, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Mash the dates into a paste. Set aside.
• Add the butter and brown sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until soft. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, allspice, baking powder and salt. Add to the stand mixer large spoonfuls of the flour mixture and date paste, alternating between each. Beat until combined. Evenly scoop the cake batter into the mini muffin tins, to the top of each cup.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for 20 to 25 minutes. Poke with a wooden skewer to make sure it's done.
• For the toffee sauce: Mix the heavy cream and brown sugar together in a pot. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• For the whipped cream: Add the heavy cream, vanilla, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger to the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks are formed.
• Invert the cakes onto a serving platter or plate. Poke the now tops of the cakes with a wooden skewer. Pour about 1/2 cup toffee sauce over the top of each cake. Dollop the whipped cream over the top of each cake.

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 oven to 350 degF.
• Prepare a 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake pan.
• Mix tog chopped dates, soda and boiling water and let stand.
• Mix tog butter, sugar and vanilla, then add the date mixture.
• Add the flour and chopped nuts.
• Pour into prepared cake pan and bake at 350 degF for approximately 35 minutes. Test cake with toothpick to see if done.Cool in pan.