Tanyas Date Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. In a saucepan, combine water and raisins. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped dates and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour, salt and date mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and set oven to Broil.
• Make Topping: In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir in brown sugar, cream and chopped nuts. Spread mixture over warm cake and place under broiler until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully - it burns easily under the broiler. Cool before serving.

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.