Orange and Date Cake

Boy Bakes Treats - Orange and Date Cake

Orange and date is an all-time classic flavour combination, but what really makes this cake a real winner is the infusion of the syrup. Not only does it keep the cake moist, but its sweet zestiness is a perfect complement to the sticky fudginess of the dates. The cardamom adds a little extra warmth of spice, but you could also sub in ginger or cinnamon for the same effect. If you're after a little extra crunch, why not throw in a 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans? Given a choice between the two, for me that's a no-brainer - pecans 99 times out of 100.

Make sure you use hot orange juice as the cooking liquid for the dates as it enables them to soak in some of the flavour and juice of the oranges. The rum is there to help with colour and a depth for flavour. One of the most fun parts of this whole cook is adding the bicarb to the mix, because science is going to make sure there's a whole lot of frothing and bubbling on.

MAKES

16-22 slices

PREP

30 minutes

COOKS

30 minutes

Ingredients

120 grams pitted dates, chopped
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/4 cup dark rum
120 grams butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons ground cardamom (optional)

Syrup

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
200 grams caster sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/360 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin. Leave the butter to warm to room temperature and cut into cubes.
Cut the dates into medium-sized pieces (each date should be cut into 3 or 4 pieces). Add the dates and orange juice to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarbonate soda. Pour into a heatproof bowl, stir in the rum and let it stand for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture cools slightly. Strain the dates from the orange juices, set both the juice and the dates aside.
Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition, then stir in the vanilla and orange zest.
In a separate bowl, sift the flours and cardamom and set aside.
Add one third of the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in half the juice. Repeat the steps, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in the dates and nuts, but be sure not to overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, press to the edges and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until browned or a toothpick or skewer inserted into centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave in the cake tin to cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, combine the juice, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly.
Transfer the cake to a plate, then use a skewer or fork to poke small holes all over the top. Slowly pour on hot syrup, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Stand for 20 minutes to allow the syrup to be absorbed fully, then leave to cool completely.

Ingredients

Directions

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Recipe notes