Description
Ina Garten’s date cake sparks pure comfort with classic Mediterranean flavors. Rich ingredients and simple techniques create a memorable dessert you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) dates, pitted and chopped
- 8 oz (227 g) butter, softened
- ½ lb (227 g) butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar (8 oz)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 3 ¼ tbsps baking powder
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease two muffin trays or a 9-inch circular baking dish with butter and flour.
- Date Infusion: Combine dates and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer briefly. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda until foamy.
- Cream Mixture: Whip sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs, scraping bowl sides. Incorporate vanilla extract until smooth.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Gently fold into wet mixture, creating a slightly lumpy batter.
- Batter Finalization: Merge warm date liquid into the batter in two stages, mixing thoroughly. Sprinkle additional baking powder as a final touch.
- Baking Process: Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking vessels. Bake 30-40 minutes for cake pan or 20 minutes for muffins, checking doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Caramel Sauce Creation: In a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Simmer 1-2 minutes until glossy and thickened.
- Finishing Touch: Pierce cake surface with toothpick. Drizzle warm caramel sauce over cakes, allowing it to penetrate for 10 minutes.
- Serving Suggestion: Invert cakes onto serving plates with caramelized side up. Garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Soak Dates Strategically: Boiling dates with baking soda breaks down their structure, creating an incredibly moist and tender cake texture.
- Master Mixing Technique: Whip butter and sugar until light and fluffy to ensure a smooth, even cake consistency that prevents dense results.
- Check Baking Precision: Use the toothpick test to guarantee perfect doneness – a clean toothpick means your cake is baked perfectly without being dry.
- Caramel Absorption Trick: Poking holes before drizzling caramel allows the sauce to penetrate deeper, infusing every bite with rich, sweet flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg