Finnish Date Cake Taatelikakku Recipes

FINNISH DATE CAKE (TAATELIKAKKU)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150°C.
• Grease and flour a loaf pan.
• Place dates, water and butter in a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes (I like to break down the dates a bit for smoother jam). Let cool.
• Pour date mixture into a mixing bowl, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add egg, mix well.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar. Add flour mixture and cream alternately to the mix.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 75 minutes.

DATE CAKE

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.

FINNISH TIIKERIKKAKKU, TIGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Alternatively, add eggs and flour to the batter until all are combined.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Place 1/3 of cake batter into separate mixing bowl; stir in cocoa and juice of 1/2 orange.
• In original bowl, stir in all of orange zest and juice of remaining 1/2 orange.
• Spread 1/3 of orange batter evenly in bottom of bundt pan.
• Gently dribble half of chocolate batter on top with a spoon or frosting bag.
• Repeat layers, ending with orange batter on top.
• Bake on center rack of oven for 1 hour or until cake tests done.

TANYA'S DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round springform pan.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add dates and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain dates and transfer to a food processor. Puree dates into a smooth paste.
• Sift together flour and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in chopped walnuts until combined and set aside.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add beaten eggs, allowing them to thoroughly blend into the butter mixture. Stir in ground dates and mix until combined. Pour in flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Add 3/4 cup hot water or as needed to thin the batter into a pourable consistency. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
• Bake cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

FINNISH CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, 1/4 cup of the sugar and almond extract. Stir in the flour. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Place the dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into strips 2 1/2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide.
• Combine the remaining tablespoon of sugar with the almonds. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the cookies with egg white. Sprinkle with the almond and sugar mixture. Carefully transfer cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake to a delicate brown, 17 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes before serving.