Yield: 10-12
Date and Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (175) chopped California Dates
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1⁄2 cups (338 g) dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (117 g) chopped walnuts
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 1⁄2 tsp (11 g) baking powder
- 1 1⁄2 tsp + 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Vegetable oil spray, for pans
Instructions
- Place the chopped dates and water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the dates have softened. Add the 1 tsp baking soda and mix with a fork until smooth. The mixture will increase in volume after adding the baking soda and will become bubbly. Set aside until the mixture has reached room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Spray with vegetable oil spray, dust with flour and line four 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, walnuts, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and date mixture until well combined, then set aside.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Set your mixer to a low speed and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, no longer than 1 minute. Be sure not to over-beat the batter, as it may cause the cakes to deflate while baking.
- Divide the cake batter equally among the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to
- 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean and the cake has pulled away from the edges slightly. Remove from
- the oven and allow the cakes to cool in their pans for approximately 15 minutes before inverting onto wire racks or a clean countertop. Allow the layers to cool completely before filling and decorating.
- Fill and frost with caramel Italian meringue buttercream and add a caramel drip if desired.
