Sticky Date Cake
A sweet and extremely moist cake topped with a quick caramel sauce. Best with ice cream.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 300kcal
Cost: $45
Equipment
- 1 8 x 8 metal square pan if you use glass, you need to adjust your bake time
- 1 blender or food processor
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 stand mixer or electric mixer + a large mixing bowl
- parchment paper to line your pan and keep the cake from sticking
- 1 wooden dowel or a chopstick
- rubber spatula for mixing (optional)
Ingredients
For the date cake
- 10 dates with the pits removed
- 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature (8 tbsp)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
For the butterscotch sauce
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cups brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt
- vanilla ice cream for topping, optional
Instructions
- Start with the cake batter. Slice open the dates with a knife and pull out the pits. Add the dates to a sauce pan and pour in the milk and baking soda. Heat the mixture on high until it is boiling. Let it boil for a minute and then remove it from the heat. Let cool for about 5 minutes before adding the mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth.10 dates, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup almond milk
- Add the date mixture to your mixing bowl. Add the unsalted butter, vanilla extract, eggs and brown sugar. Using a whisk attachment, mix the ingredients together on medium speed until homogenous, about 2 minutes. Then add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. With a rubber spatula, mix the batter together slowly until just combined.1 tsp baking powder, 1 stick unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1⅓ cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your metal pan with parchment paper and pour in the cake batter. Bake the cake for 20 minutes. The cake will wiggle just a tiny bit in the center. If a knife comes out clean when inserted, it's done. If not, bake the cake for additional 5 minute increments.
- While the cake bakes, start the butterscotch sauce. Give your sauce pan a quick rinse. Then add the unsalted butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla and pinch of flaky sea salt and heat it on medium heat. Stir frequently as everything melts to prevent burning. Once everything is melted, bring the heat to low and let it simmer for five minutes to thicken. Then remove from the heat.5 tbsp unsalted butter, ¾ cup heavy cream, ¾ cups brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, flaky sea salt
- After the cake has cooled for 5-10 minutes, take a skewer (or a chopstick) and poke several holes into the cake - stick the skewer about ¾ths way through the cake each time (don't go all the way to the bottom). Then spoon a bunch of the butterscotch mixture over the cake and let the cake soak it up. Leave the rest of the sauce for topping later.
- Cover the cake with aluminum foil and wait at least ten minutes before serving the cake (allows time for the cake to absorb the sauce). Pop the extra sauce in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to keep it warm. Top a slice of cake with vanilla ice cream, more sauce and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Notes
** If you use a glass pan, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because glass pans conduct heat differently than metal pans and can cause baked goods to brown more quickly on the bottom and edges.
Start by baking the cake for 20 minutes and keep a watchful eye - you may need to bake it for longer, but it's best to check it frequently.