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Spiced date cake with butterscotch icing

Name: Spiced date cake with butterscotch icing
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 250 g Pitted dates, (about 2 ½ cups), roughly chopped (Main); 1 tsp Baking soda; 125 ml Boiling water; 125 g Butter, softened; ¾ cup Caster sugar; 2 Eggs; 1 ½ cups Plain flour (Main); ½ tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Ground ginger; 1 tsp Ground allspice (Main); 30 g Butter (Main); ¼ cup Cream, plus extra if needed to thin icing; ½ cup Firmly packed brown sugar; ½ cup Icing sugar; 4 Medjool date, pitted and cut into small pieces, optional; ¼ cup Almond flakes, toasted, optional

for 8 people

Kathy Paterson

Food writer and stylist.

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A regularly baked family spiced date loaf, recipe, I’ve now turned into a cake with a great icing.

250 g	Pitted dates, (about 2 ½ cups), roughly chopped (Main)
1 tsp	Baking soda
125 ml	Boiling water
125 g	Butter, softened
¾ cup	Caster sugar
2	Eggs
1 ½ cups	Plain flour (Main)
½ tsp	Baking powder
1 tsp	Ground cinnamon
1 tsp	Ground ginger
1 tsp	Ground allspice (Main)

30 g	Butter (Main)
¼ cup	Cream, plus extra if needed to thin icing
½ cup	Firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup	Icing sugar
4	Medjool date, pitted and cut into small pieces, optional
¼ cup	Almond flakes, toasted, optional

Place the dates and baking soda in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and set aside for about 30 minutes to allow the dates to soften a little.
Heat the oven to 170C. Grease and line the sides and base of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices. Add the zest to the soaked dates.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and the date liquid. Mix until just combined. Remove, add the dates and zest and gently mix to combine. Place in the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Make the icing, melt the butter in a small heavy-based saucepan. Stir in the cream and brown sugar. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and beat or whisk in half the icing sugar. (It might separate slightly, but beating brings it back). Leave to cool a little, then beat or whisk in the remaining icing sugar. If the icing is too thick add more cream to thin. Spread the icing over the cooled cake and top with the fresh dates and almonds, if using.

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