“Cake is the answer no matter what the question!” -Anonymous

It’s healthy, super moist, contains all the goodness of dates and cashewnuts and it’s super easy. Dates are a good source of antioxidants, minerals, fibre and is a natural sweetener whereas cashewnuts are a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

This is one of the cakes I learnt during a short cooking course I attended years ago. My sister in Delhi makes a wonderful carrot and date cake with oil which is a hit among her friends and family. This cake is made with butter and has no carrot. You could add some spice powder like cinnamon and nutmeg – but to me, as the dates are soaked in hot water for some time, they become soft and hence the flavour of the dates is spread right through the cake. This time when I was at moms place I got deseeded dates which makes it all the more easy to whip up this simple and delicious cake. It’s a favourite at home.

Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter-100 grams
• Brown sugar -1 cup
• Eggs -2 small
• Vanilla essence -1 and a 1/2 tsp
• Maida – 1 and 3/4 cups
• Baking powder- 1 and 3/4 tsp
• Salt-1/2 tsp
• Dates – 1 cup chopped fine
• Hot water -1 and a 1/2 cups
• Baking soda- 1 tsp
• Cashewnuts chopped -1/2 cup chopped + 2 tbsp to sprinkle on top

Method:

To soak the chopped dates:

• Take the chopped dates in small vessel, sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda, and pour boiling water. Let the dates soak for about half an hour or so.
• Measure out the butter and brown sugar into a bowl.
• With an egg beater, whisk till creamy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla essence and whisk till light in colour.
• To the egg mixture add the soaked dates and mix well.
• Add flour ( to which baking powder and salt has been added) to the batter and mix well.
• Fold in the chopped nuts and pour the batter into a greased and dusted cake tin.
• Sprinkle a few chopped nuts on top and bake in a preheated oven (180deg.c) for 40 minutes.
• Let the cake cool down before serving.

Chefs tips:

• Instead of butter, you could use oil (1/3 cup).
• The date mixture has to be at room temperature when you add it to the butter- cream mixture.
• You could add 1/4 cup of seedless kismis or grapes to the batter. (Optional)
• Lightly press down the two tablespoon of nuts on the cake mixture.
• For the real flavour of the cake to come through, cut the cake when it has cooled down completely.
• Serve with a hot cup of tea.

Till my next post,

Cheers

Rose