Forgotten date cake recipe

Name: Forgotten date cake
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 200g soft dates (pitted); 2 eggs; 125ml vegetable oil; 210.00 ml milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 50g brown sugar; 250g plain flour; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarb soda; 200g caster sugar; 60g unsalted butter; 125ml thickened cream; 1/2tsp salt

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by Anas Atassi

Author

Jun 30, 2021

“This recipe is my mother’s invention and when I asked her for the recipe, she couldn’t remember having made this cake. She was convinced it was one of her friends’ recipes! It was only after a friend found a recipe, written in my mother’s penmanship, that she believed this recipe was hers.”- Anas Atassi.

200g soft dates (pitted)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
21/2tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g brown sugar
1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda

For the caramel sauce

200g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter
1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
1/2tsp salt

Method

1.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2.

In a heatproof bowl, pour 225ml boiling water over the dates. The dates should be completely covered. Soak for 15 minutes.
3.

In a food processor, blend the dates and the soaking water for 30 seconds, or until the dates are in tiny pieces. The texture should not be completely smooth.
4.

With a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until well combined, light in colour and fluffy.
5.

With a rubber spatula, fold the date pieces in carefully to the egg mixture.
6.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarb soda in a separate bowl and then fold into the egg mixture.
7.

Line the bottom and side of a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.
8.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes in the middle of the oven.
9.

While the cake is baking, make the caramel. In a large non-stick pan, heat the sugar on medium heat. The sugar will melt and start to caramelise. Do not touch or stir the sugar. It will begin to melt where it touches the sides of the pan. Now you can carefully let the sugar bead up and swirl around in the pan. Add the butter when the sugar starts to become liquid and golden-brown. The caramel will start to bubble and spatter. Don’t stand too close!
10.

Stir caramel with a wooden spoon until the butter is completely melted. Add the cream, stirring constantly. Continue cooking the caramel for 2-3 minutes to thicken. When the caramel starts to coat the back of the spoon, add salt. Stir and remove from the heat so caramel can cool.
11.

Remove cake from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before taking it out of the cake pan. Place the cooled cake on a cake stand and drizzle with the caramel sauce.