Date cake

This is a rich date cake without sugar. The cake is infused with the sweetness of dates and honey. The cake itself is not very sweet, but the icing sure makes up for it. A yummy coffee cream frosting and some chocolate chips to top this cake, make its a mouthful of wholesome goodness!

For the date cake:
The recipe yields 2-9 inch cakes or about 20 cupcakes. I made a 9 inch cake and 12 date cupcakes.
What you need:
40 fresh dates, (or 50 dry dates) soaked in warm water over night
6 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder

Soak the dates overnight in 2 cups of hot water. You can also cook them in the microwave with 2 cups of hot water. In a blender, puree the mixture to a fine paste. You may use a sieve to filter them down to a finer consistency. Set aside.

Combine the wheat flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a small cup, combine the coffee powder with a few teaspoons of hot water. Set aside.

Preheat the oven at 325 degree F.

Beat the eggs, oil and honey together for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium high until the mixture is light and fluffy. Using a spatula or on he lowest speed, add the flour mixture and date mixture into the egg in little amounts alternating between the flour and date puree. Once its all in, combine them gently. Pour in the coffee liquid and stir in in to combine.

Grease 2-9 inch baking pans with butter, and dust them with flour. I made a 9 inch cake and 12 date cupcakes. Bake them in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes. My cupcakes were done in about 22 minutes, the 9 inch cake took longer, about 28-30 minutes.

Use a tooth pick and poke it in the middle of the cake all the way through to check if the cake is done. if it comes out clean, its ready to head out of the oven. Call me weird, but I use a clean knitting needle or a long kebab skewer to check the cake. Its longer and way safer than a toothpick. Let the cakes cool completely.

As for cupcakes, always take them out of the pans, and let them cool in their paper liners or as is, on a cooling rack. Leaving them in the pan to cool makes them shrink. I just put the cake in the fridge to cool while I make the frosting, that way the cake can be baked and frosted faster.
Follow the link below for the yummy coffee cream frosting. Enjoy!