Squidgy Date Cake Recipes

SQUIDGY LEMON-GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (about 8cm deep) with baking parchment. Put dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Heat the butter in a small pan until melted, and stir in the sugar. Allow to cool slightly.
• Beat in the eggs, ginger and lemon zest. Drain the dates and chop them finely. Scrape them into the pan too, and mix well. Stir in the flour, then apple. Spoon into the cake tin, put the tin on a baking sheet (this stops the base browning too much) then bake for about 1¼ hrs, until well risen. A skewer stuck into the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Leave it to cool in the tin.
• Break the white chocolate into a non-metallic bowl. Heat in the microwave, on medium setting, in one minute bursts until melted (or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water). Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the paper. Trickle the chocolate over the cake, scatter with the crystallised lemon peel and coffee crystals and leave to set before serving. If well wrapped, the cake keeps for at least a week - it just gets better and better. Or, wrap the cooled cake in several layers of cling film before decorating, and freeze for up to two months.

MOIST DATE CAKE

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.

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.

EASY DATE CAKE

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.