Loaded with soft dates, this cake has a special, really delectable taste.
I almost did not buy the creme anglaise to go with it, when I decided to make it for dessert last Saturday, but then I was glad I did because everyone seemed to enjoy the combination !
Date Cake
1 egg
1 and ¼ cups of chopped dates
½ cup of chopped walnuts (optional but a nice touch)
¾ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of melted butter
1 and a ½ cups of any flour (refined is probably ideal, though I often bake with even whole wheat flour)
1 and a 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
½ tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
Soak the dates in 1 cup of boiling hot water, after adding the baking soda and leave them aside to cool. In the meanwhile, beat together the egg and the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla to this mixture.
In another bowl, combine the flour, the salt, and the nuts.
Add the dates once they have cooled to the first mixture, then add in the flour mixture.
Now stir in the melted butter and combine well.
Put this cake batter in to a cake mould, and leave it to stand for 15-20 minutes.
Then bake in a preheated oven at 180degreesC for 1 hour, or till a table knife inserted in to the middle comes out clean and dry.
Like the chocolate and date loaf, this cake makes for quite a fancy dessert, eaten with crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream 🙂
An Indian Kitchen in France 
ok- so I tried the prune puree cake-it’s more of a loaf than cake. Abhinav commented- Mom – it’s one of those things you’ve got to acquire a taste for. The cake is still lasting after 2 days means kids did not approve it. But I love it and so does Anupam.
Here’s the recipe :
12 oz prunes
2 medium ripe bananas
2 cups water
1/2 cup cocoa powder- unsweetened
1 cup semi sweet choc chips
1 cup maida or half cup maida 1/2 cup atta
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup banana chips-coarsely crushed
-Boil the prunes on sim for 20 minutes in 2 cups of water until they become soft. drain
heat oven at 350
-sift together all the dry ingredients
– puree the prunes in the food processor until very smooth
– add bananas – until blended
add the 2 eggs- pulse it until mixed well ( you are in the food processor so far)
add this mixture to the dry sifted mix
– add choc chips
– add banana chips
– drop it the mix in the lightly buttered loaf pan. The recipe mentioned lining the bottom with parchment paper- I did but do not know the point
bake for about 45-50 minutes- take out the cake when done and let it cool for an hour.
It’s tasting better now than the first day- it does not rise much so it’s kinda dense. Best is no oil no sugar- the recipe mentioned 20 slices out of the loaf = 174 calories each.
hey thanks so much priti for sharing this – i love it that this uses no sugar or oil/butter.
just one question; these banana chips you used – are they like the good ole kerala type one finds in India?
I have seen dried banana slices here in the supermarket, and the indian/asian-style chips in the foreign foods section.
what exactly is it that you used? let me know and I’ll look for the equivalent here.
will try this one soon.
I think any kind will do- I used some Peruvian dry roasted, not salted ,not fried banana chips that I use for adding to trail mix- since it’s only half cup I think it won’t matter…
okay, sounds easy to manage then.
and am curious; what’s a trail mix?