BEST! Moist Date Cake

Date cake has remained one of Sri Lankan all-time favorite cakes. This easy moist date cake is both fruity and nutty, packed full of yummy dates and a mix of ground nuts, a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. It’s full of dates. If you love dates, this Dates Cake recipe is for you.

INGREDIENTS FOR DATE CAKE

DATES: There is a variety of dates in the market, so the color and sweetness are different. Choose moist sweet dates for the best results. According to the color of the dates, the color of the cake will be different from light to dark brown.

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FLOUR: I used cake flour. The cakes made with cake flour are softer and lighter in comparison to cakes made with all-purpose flour. You can also use all-purpose flour.

BUTTER: Room-temperature butter will cream easily. Room-temperature butter is soft, so when you press into it, your finger leaves a dent, but make sure not to use too soft butter which is greasy or oily.

SUGAR: The dates are sweet. So, I used less amount of sugar to make this date cake. Adjust the amount of sugar as you like.

EGGS: Use room-temperature eggs as they incorporate into the batter easily.

BAKING POWDER & BAKING SODA: A combination of both is necessary for a dates cake that raises properly. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda for the best result.

SALT (OPTIONAL): Salt brings out the other flavors in the cake.

NUTS: Adding cashew nuts is very common in Sri Lanka as cashew nuts are readily available. I used a mix of ground almonds and cashew nuts. Add some chopped or ground nuts of your choice for extra crunchiness.

SPICES: Ground spices are used to enhance the flavor and taste of this date cake. I used a mix of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. Feel free to use your choice of ground spices.

RAISINS: Adding raisins is optional. If you love raisins just like me, add some as you like.

HOW TO MAKE THE DATE PASTE

If you have a high-speed food processor/blender, making date paste is very easy. You can make the date paste either by soaking them or boiling them. I boiled the dates so that dates become soft quickly.

SOAKING Method

First, slice dates lengthwise and remove the seeds. Soak them in warm water. Adjust the soaking time according to the dates you use. If your dates are particularly dry soak the dates longer until the dates are softened.

BOILING Method

First, slice dates lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place pitted dates and water in a pot/saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

GRINDING THE DATES

Grind them to a smooth paste along with the water in which it is soaked/boiled in. Make sure to reserve the soaking/boiling water in case any of it is needed to thin the puree when blending.

TIPS FOR Making THE Best DATE CAKE

This date cake is even better the day after making it. Do not refrigerate, just keep it at room temperature in an air-tight container after wrapping it with plastic wrap.

PREPARATION

Take the eggs out of the fridge before you start making the batter and place them on the counter, for about 30 minutes or so.

You can quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a bowl and covering them with just warm water (not hot water) for about 5 minutes.

Bring the butter to room temperature before you start making the batter.

MAKING THE BATTER

Cream the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy.

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Add the eggs one tablespoon at a time and beat until the yolk just disappears into the batter.

Avoid over-mixing the cake batter as it’ll lead to a tough and rubbery cake. The final mixing should be just long enough to ensure the ingredients are incorporated.

BAKING

Make sure to preheat the oven before placing your cake in the oven.

Baking time depends on your oven and the type of pan you’re using, so you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.

Do not open the oven door (especially for the first 20 minutes) until you are certain the cake has baked enough, or it will collapse.

Be careful not to overbake the cake. When done, the cake should be golden-brown, well-risen, and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Test the cake with a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it is clean, then your cake is done.

Cover the cake with foil for the final 15 minutes if the cake is browning too quickly.

Storing the Dates Cake and Leftovers

Here’s how to store it for the best results.

Cool completely before storing. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. Do not thaw frozen cake in the microwave or oven as it will dry out and the taste will change.

At Room Temperature: When it comes to storing a date cake, from my experience, storing it at room temperature is better as it helps to retain moisture and keep it from getting too hard. Wrap in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 days.

In the Refrigerator: You can store it in the refrigerator for one week or so in an airtight container after wrapping it in plastic wrap. However, the cake will become somewhat dense and hard in the fridge. Allow coming to room temperature before serving.

In the Freezer: You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for about 3 months. Wrap the whole cake (or individual slices separately) with plastic wrap and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Defrost at room temperature.

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Moist DATE CAKE (STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE)

PREP TIME 30 minBAKE TIME 40 to 50 minYIELD: 1 cake (20 cm)

INGREDIENTS

For the Date Paste250 g pitted dates200 ml water1/4 baking soda

Mix-ins150 g pitted dates, chopped50 g coarsely ground nuts (see the note)50 g raisins

For the Cake150 g cake flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg125 g unsalted butter100 g granulated sugar2 eggs

NOTE: I used a mix of almonds and cashew nuts.

Instructions

Preparation

First, slice dates (250 g) lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Place pitted dates and water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

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Grind them to a smooth paste along with the water in which it is boiled.

Chop the Dates (150 g) into small pieces. Adding small chunks of cut dates gives that crunchy flavor that will enhance the taste.

Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Leave the bowl out on your counter until the butter reaches room temperature.

Prepare the ground nuts and raisins.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease a 20 cm square pan (round pan) with butter and line the base with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking powder, ground spices, and salt.

Make the Cake Batter

Slightly beat the softened butter with a wooden spoon before beating it with your hand mixer.

Next, beat the butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy for about 3 minutes using a hand mixer.

Add the sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until light and fluffy. It will take about 5 minutes.

For best results, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula a few times as needed before the creaming process is completed.

Whisk the eggs lightly in a small bowl.

Add the slightly beaten eggs about 1 tablespoon at a time.

And beat until well combined before adding the next one.

Add in the dates paste.

Beat until combined.

Next, add the flour mixture and ground nuts. Gently fold in with a spatula until well combined. Mix in the chopped dates and raisins.

Baking

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and level the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 180ºC and for about 20 mins at 170ºC until the cake rises and is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Adjust the baking time and temperature as needed.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and then gently turn it out onto a wire rack.

Serve & Enjoy!

Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into slices. A slice of this dates cake goes well with a cup of tea or coffee.

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Moist Date Cake Recipe

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