ROANOKE, Va. – Just in time for fall, Karmen George, owner of Halwa Bakery & Cafe in Blacksburg is back in the kitchen to show us how to make a spiced date cake. It’s a delicious cake recipe that creates sweetness primarily through the dates, and not added sugar. Karmen uses a variety of spices to add a flavorful fall feel to the desert. It’s a dense cake that has a burst of flavor in every bite. Topped with caramel, the substantial desert will leave your guests feeling satisfied and ready to celebrate the new season.
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Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dates
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla (Karmen prefers powdered vanilla)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup of flour
- Spices
- Caramel topping
Create Wet Mixture: Begin prepping the dried dates by soaking them in 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 tsp of baking soda. This makes the dates tender and ready to be put in the food processor. Process the mixture long enough to create a chunky, wet mixture. Dates should be in small, thin chunks. In a large mixing bowl add 3 cracked eggs and a tsp of vanilla and whisk together. Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil and the date mixture to the eggs. Mix together. Add 1 cup brown sugar.
Create Dry Mixture: In a separate large mixing bowl create the dry mixture by mixing all spices (spices can vary based on preference) with 1 1/2 cup of flour. Mix together. Add wet mixture. Mix well.
Can be baked in bundt cake, sheet cake or loaf pan. Spray pan with cooking spray before adding mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Drizzle caramel on top of baked cake before serving.
Learn more about Halwa Bakery & Cafe by visiting its Facebook page or its website.