With Custard and Fruit
I love it when I don’t have to start my post with a whine about the weather. The weather has been perfect. This week the car is sparkling clean, on the outside, because it has been raining (don’t ask about the interior).
I always have a jar of dates and lots of nuts and dried fruits in my cupboard, so when I came across this beautiful date cake topped with cherries and almonds, I knew, I had to make it. I made the cake the following day and I have no regrets whatsoever.
I loved the way the colours blended on the cake slices. I almost didn’t eat it. I just wanted to sit and admire it. In the end, I had to eat it, grudgingly. It tasted fabulous, served with some freshly made custard and fruits on the side. I went to bed smiling. If you love dates, I promise you’ll love this cake and if you love almonds and cherries, you’ll become hooked, forever.
Please, always remember to assemble ingredients before you start baking.
Grease a 20cm (8 inch) square slab pan. Line base and sides with parchment (greaseproof) paper
Sift the flour and baking powder. Set aside
Combine dates with water in a bowl. Cover, cool to room temperature.
Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, beat until combined.
Stir in sifted flours in two batches.
This is what the final mixture should look like
Spread half the mixture evenly into prepared tin.
Combine remaining mixture with undrained date mixture.
Stir, gently to combine
Spread the date mixture evenly into tin on top of the earlier mixture.
Sprinkle with cherries
And almonds. Bake at 325°F (160°F) for about 50-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. (I baked at 325°F 160°F for 65 minutes.)
Stand 5 minutes before turning on wire rack to cool.
Place on a flat surface and cut into squares
This cake can be served with tea or coffee
And can also be served as a dessert
I served mine with custard and some fruits on the side. It was delicious! (I forgot to take a photo of the cake served with custard, sorry, maybe next time, I’ll update)
Date Cake with Cherry Almond Topping
Preparation time: 20 minutes; Baking time: 50-70 minutes; Makes: 1 x 8-inch square cake
Original Recipe from Cakes and Slices Cookbook (Australian Women’s Weekly)
Ingredients
- 225g (1¾ cups, 7oz) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 250g (1½ cups, 9oz) chopped dates
- 60ml (¼ cup) boiling water
- 190g (¾ cup, 7oz, 1.6 stick) butter
- 180g (1 scant cup, 6½oz) sugar
- 3 eggs
- 45g (⅓ cup) slivered almonds
- 90g (¼ cup) chopped glace cherries
Instructions
- Grease a 20cm (8 inch) square cake pan. Line base and sides with parchment (greaseproof) paper. Combine dates with water in a bowl. Cover, cool to room temperature. Sift the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beat until combined.
- Stir in the sifted flour in two batches. Spread half the mixture evenly into prepared tin. Combine remaining mixture with undrained date mixture. Spread on top. Sprinkle with almonds and cherries. Bake at 325°F (160°F) for about 50-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Stand 5 minutes before turning on wire rack to cool.
- For cup measures: spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml American cup.
Point to Note:
- Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperature depending on your oven. I baked at 325°F 160°F for 65 minutes.
- Last Updated: March 28, 2018
myfavouritepastime.com
My Favourite Pastime 
I adore dates. This cake looks like the ticket to a bit of date heaven. Pinning it now to make soon! You are such a great baker! 🙂
HI Shanna,
Me too. The cake is very unique and tasty too. I love baking. Have a wonderful weekend!
Liz
🙂 Thanks, Liz!
It looks delicious! Regards, Maggie
Hi Maggie,
Thank you so much for complimenting and thank you for visiting me.
Also thank you for liking my Facebook page. I wish you a wonderful Sunday and a very pleasant week ahead!
Reblogged this on All About Recipes and commented:
This is pretty!!
Please note that even though you HAVE REBLOGGED THIS POST, I am fully objecting to it being re-blogged, because you are over-reblogging posts from myfavouritepastime.
Thats fine….I will not reblog anymore of your posts. Have a great day!!
Those pics look so good I could pick the slices off the screen! Fantastic…You will have to start a transatlantic mailing!!
Deal is done. You are my first client. Just place a standing order and voila, it will be delivered at your doorstep. Have a lovely Sunday. I can just imagine a nice long drink on the balcony…I love the way you appreciate food! Cheers!
Gee, Liz, does this ever sound good! The date cake itself would make a fine treat but covering it with a mix of cherries and almond puts it over the top. It must have disappeared from that platter. It surely would have around here. 🙂
It was delicious, while it lasted. Have a lovely weekend!!!
I love using dates as a sugar replacement in recipes. Esp. medjool dates, the largest, fattest and sweetest dates with a deep caramel flavour. Go natural!
Oh wow can I have a recipe with dates only please? is it in your blog. I must look for medjool dates. I love snacking on dates too. Thanks so much for teaching me about medjool, I shall pay more attention to dates when I go to my local store. Have a pleasant weekend!
You can try my raw carrot cake or raw strawberry cheesecake. The links can be found under “raw desserts” in the recipe index. Typically the crust base is made of nuts pulsed together with dates and oil. Usually I make mini versions but you can scale up accordingly 🙂
Thanks so much. I shall look for it, immediately. Have a wonderful weekend!
Oh this looks beautiful! Love the colours in this, and I can imagine how good it tastes with the combination of fruits!
Thanks for complimenting and for visiting. It did taste very nice, accompanied with fruits and custard. Thanks and wish you a wonderful weekend, ahead.
Yes, the weather has been so perfect, kind of hard to believe that each day is just as nice. And this cake looks perfect too!
Hey neighbour thanks for visiting. The weather is just so good, i don’t know what to say. Thanks for checking on me and have a wonderful weekend!
Beautiful! Dates are magical in baked goods…
They are lovely. I bet you are just swimming amongst dates!
I love the way this cake looks! And of course it sounds delicious too. All these yummy treats have me very hungry lately! FYI Evernote is another good app for storing things on your iPad. I use it to store recipes, products I see in magazines I may want to buy, decorating ideas etc. The best part is you can even take a picture of the recipe and just store it without having to type it all in!
Hi Mama D,
Thanks for loving the cake and thanks for telling me about the Evernote app. My hubby bought me an iPad and it has just been lying there doing nothing. I spend more time with the laptop than anything else, even my phone only glimpses me occasionally. I am definitely going to look at it too and will give you a feedback, of course. Thanks so much for and have a wonderful day!
I was admiring the bright red cherries, then kept scrolling and admiring, scrolling and admiring until I came to the cut squares. My first thought was “Oh my, what great looking layers!” This cake did layer so well, I think I would want to just sit there and stare at it too. Sounds delicious.
Thanks so much for your compliments. It means a lot to me and now I don’t feel guilty because I said I just wanted to admire and not eat the cake. That happens to me whenever I make something and I feel it’s good. Wish you a lovely day!
There is every possibility I could translate this to gluten-free. How moist was it Liz?
The cake was very moist and delicious. I loved it very much. Hope you can translate it to gluten free. Thanks and best wishes!
Will definitely be trying this! Bought lots of dates on a recent trip to the Middle East and this will be a fantastic way of using them up! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I love dates and date cakes too. My friend from Indonesia just made himself some date pancakes. I am planning to try that too.
Middle East must be an interesting place to visit. I have mostly passed there during my layovers. Thanks and have a great day!
Yummm….this is just mouthwatering. Cant wait to try this. Thanks for sharing such a nice recipe Liz. Have a wonderful day !!
Ha I loved staring at it more than eating it, but when we started eating it, it was gone in seconds. Thanks and have a pleasant evening!!!
WOW!
It looks so luxurious, Liz!
I know you can’t see it but I am dancing in circles because I have all the ingredients. LOL
By the way, I have re-linked the banana recipe to your blog. Apparently, I typed “http://” twice. I got too excited, i guess. 😀
I can visualize you dancing in circles, LOL, I have seen the link to the Banana pancake and even commented below it. Thanks so much, Hari. I shall be making pancakes with dates too. Enjoy your evening!!!
and I shall try to put orange juice or thick orange extract into the pancake dough. How fun it must be to have a bright yellow pancake for breakfast! 😀
And they taste lovely too, Hari. Nest time we make them I shall take photos. They taste awesome and look lovely. Thanks. Are you not sleeping yet?
Nope. I just got back from nighttime shopping with my aunt. It was so crowded! I forgot that today was payday!
Indonesia must be one hell of an interesting place. One day I shall visit it!
Ha ha ha
We are too colorful to be described with words. I think that is the best way to put it.
I have not seen much of this country, and I have already been amazed by what I see. The similarities and differences. I think it is fair to say that Indonesia is one of the richest countries in the world when it comes to culture and diversity. 😀
I agree, totally!!!!
Liz, You are killing me with one beautiful and delicious post after post. I haven’t finished drooling with one before you come up with another exquisite recipe!
Ha ha I’m trying to do away with my backlogged posts, so I’m on Marathon posting. Thanks so much for drooling, that’s always a good sign and a great compliment to the chef! Enjoy your day!
I buy chopped dates in 25# boxes, several pounds of almonds in the freezer, and there are a few red sweet cherries left from our greedy little maws, so . . .
Hi Dorrie Anne,
I agree completely. Your diet is one of the healthiest diets I have ever come across. Can I freeze almonds? tell me more about that. How do I do it?
I am on my way to see what you ate yesterday, I might just get some fresh ideas for my lunch. Have a wonderful day. Our day here, is full of rain!!!
To freeze almonds, just open the freezer door and insert them! No need for anything special. We had rain yesterday, but it is monsoon season here. This is the only time of the year we get rain. Eating well has infinite benefits, but does best if combined with sufficient rest and a modicum of exercise. T’ai chi is easy, relaxing, and takes only a few minutes a day. We do it just before dinner, although the traditional time is early morning – to start the day. I do a series of bed exercises – mostly stretching – before I get up. Takes about ten minutes. Not easy to fit into a busy lifestyle where you must hit the ground running, but try just stretching your arms overhead and pushing upward a few times – just enough to let your body know you are thinking of it, and respect all it does for you during the day. Branch out from there to stretch other muscles as you are able to steal a moment here and there. Have the kids join you. Make it seem special for them to be with you and doing what Mama is doing!
Omg I laughed so hard about the almonds. It reminded me of a series of question a friend sent to me and one of them asked “how do you put an elephant in the refrigerator” A child would answer: Open the door, put the elephant and close the door”
An adult would think: “Omg I have to kill the elephant, cut it into pieces and arrange it carefully-but will it really fit?”
I shall open my freezer door and insert the almonds, thanks!!!
I agree fully about resting, Some of us sleep 4 hours a day for several days until our bodies can’t take it anymore then we take drastic action. Terrible way of treating the precious body.
I always mean to do a few minutes of exercise but I am not very consistent to be honest. I’m going to try a little harder and have a fixed schedule like you.
Have a lovely day!!!
Wonderful, Liz! Let me know how you do. ;->
Thanks for your encouragement, sometimes all one needs is a little nudge from someone else. Thanks!
Anytime! My door is always open! ;->
I guess I won’t offer you any cheese now that there is no whine! 😉
Dates are another favorite of mine. This looks very yummy but I have to tell you a funny little story about dates. These days I eat one or two and that’s it! Several years ago my husband and I were travelling in Australia by motorcycle and we stopped at a date farm out near Alice Springs. The owner told us to go wander around and there were all these dates laying on the ground under the trees. (A type of palm tree – date palms) Anyway, we both ate quite a few! Waste not, want not. Needless to say, by the next day we learned a lesson….always eat dates when you are close to a washroom! I really like the look of this cake. I am going to add this one to my iPad recipe app. Nice that your weather is good again. We may get a sprinkle here and that would be welcome. Thankfully, it has cooled down a little bit. Have a wonderful day tomorrow.
I loved your little story, immensely, Sandy, and when I think back I can confirm that I never eat more than two dates a day as a snack. one or two is usually just enough for snacking. I find it really sweet and even the process of eating is usually a small nibble at a time until I finish it. So I can understand when you say you eat just one or too. That’s the way to eat it.
What happened to your other blog? I haven’t seen a new post for sometime. Are you posting??
I have an Ipad that just lies there without any information in it. I must get this app of yours. What’s it called?
It has been raining here since yesterday and I this rain is going to continue until tomorrow and we might have a thunderstorm this afternoon. Good for the lawn, good for the car and good that it keeps temperatures down.
Thanks so much, Sandy, for making me laugh with your washroom story. If I ever visit a date farm. I shall be very civilized.
LOL….I have been so “outdoorsy” lately, very little time to post on either blog. Soon I will again. Our beautiful weather is so short lived and when the greyness and rain comes it won’t leave until next summer. The iPad app is just called “Recipe Book”. I believe it was a free one or if not, really reasonable. What’s great about it is that it has a lot of tools to help you input a recipe. You can enter the title, source, yield and all other necessary instructions. When you add ingredients there is a little moving wheel “thing” as well as all of the other information such as tsp., oz, ml, quart, piece Kg and so on. I just love it. The app allows you to do searches and categorize. I believe I just downloaded it through iTunes to the iPad. You can even add a photo you upload of your own or from a search on google images. We were promised a shower or two but it never materialized. We are now on full fire ban here and the woods are closed to all mechanical activities and no open campfires. Have a great day!
Thanks so much for giving me detailed information. I shall ask my 12 and 14 year olds to download it for me. They know so much about computers and apps etc, sometimes they even teach me what to do. I guess that’s why I have hit a learning block, because I always know there are there!
Enjoy the good weather while it lasts, the blog can wait!
Look yummy I need to try it 🙂
Great post 🙂
Thanks. Please try it and share feedback!
For sure 🙂