Self Iced Date Cake Food

SELF ICED DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over dates and baking soda and let stand while mixing batter.
• Cream shortening until fluffy, then add sugar gradually. Add eggs and beat well. Add sifted flour and salt, alternating with date mixture. Mix well. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg may be added to flour mixture. Add vanilla and blend.
• Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

DATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Add the dates, baking soda and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until greatly reduced, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Mash the dates into a paste. Set aside.
• Add the butter and brown sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until soft. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, allspice, baking powder and salt. Add to the stand mixer large spoonfuls of the flour mixture and date paste, alternating between each. Beat until combined. Evenly scoop the cake batter into the mini muffin tins, to the top of each cup.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for 20 to 25 minutes. Poke with a wooden skewer to make sure it's done.
• For the toffee sauce: Mix the heavy cream and brown sugar together in a pot. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• For the whipped cream: Add the heavy cream, vanilla, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger to the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks are formed.
• Invert the cakes onto a serving platter or plate. Poke the now tops of the cakes with a wooden skewer. Pour about 1/2 cup toffee sauce over the top of each cake. Dollop the whipped cream over the top of each cake.

STICKY TOFFEE DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-round cake pans or 20 muffin tins.
• Place the dates in large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups cold water. Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Then leave to simmer for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Stir in the baking soda (which will cause the mixture to bubble up).
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt and mix briefly to give a lumpy dough.
• Next, add the warm date mixture in two batches. Scrape down the sides of bowl in between mixing. The dough will now be quite watery but don't worry! Finally add the baking powder (this will bubble up also).
• Pour the batter evenly into the two pans or muffin tins. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes for cake pans and about 20 minutes for muffin tins. Test if they are cooked with a small knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when cakes are done.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer gently for a minute or two until thickened and well blended.
• When the cakes are done, poke little holes all over with toothpick, this will enable the sauce to be absorbed more easily. Pour the caramel sauce over cakes while both are still warm and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out upside-down onto serving plates (the bottom is the most sticky bit!).
• Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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.

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.