Description
A moist, spiced cake sweetened only by dates, with no added refined sugar, flavored with cardamom and cinnamon and finished with a light honey glaze.
Ingredients
For the cake: 1 1/2 cups (about 225 g) pitted soft dates, such as Medjool, chopped
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup (76 g) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the honey glaze: 3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot water
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Place the chopped dates in a bowl, sprinkle with the baking soda, and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand for 15 minutes, then mash lightly with a fork so the dates break down into a chunky paste.
3. Stir the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla into the cooled date mixture until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the date mixture until just combined. The batter will be thick.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden.
8. Stir the honey, hot water, and cardamom together for the glaze. Brush the warm cake with the glaze while it is still in the pan.
9. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before slicing into 10 pieces.
Notes
Original Poulef adaptation of published Persian-style date cakes with cinnamon and cardamom and a honey glaze (including recipes from The Spice Spoon, CuisineCove, and Recipes Louna). Those sources use added sugar in the batter, so the sugar was removed here and the dates provide the sweetness. Amounts, pan size, and bake time are estimates and the recipe has not been tested.
No refined sugar is added. The sweetness comes from the dates and the honey glaze, so the cake is not sugar-free.
Keeps well; store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition is an approximate estimate per slice (10 slices).
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 169mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 53mg