Cinnamon Hazelnut Date Cake

The humble date is much more delicious and versatile than one might guess based on its appearance. Dates are appealingly sticky and sweet, and their complex flavor makes you think a few aromatic spices like cinnamon and allspice may already be inside the fruit.

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I had the pleasure of perusing Ros' blog, The more than occasional baker. As someone who also tends to fire up the oven more than occasionally, I was excited to see all the fabulous baked goods on her site.  From classics like chocolate peanut butter squares to innovative treats like parsnip cake, her blog has it all.

As soon as I spotted this cinnamon date cake, though, my mind was made up.  A beautiful Bundt cake sweetened with dates and flavored with cinnamon sounded like just the thing for a snowy January weekend, and it was!

For this recipe, you pit a bunch of dates and soak them in very hot water. (The pitted dates look just like hearts, so I had to stop and take a few photos. Looks like I'm in a valentine's mindset already!) The soaked dates and then blended into a paste in the food processor so they can permeate the batter with moisture and flavor.

I made a few changes to Ros' recipe.  First, I wanted to make the cake grain-free.  But instead of using almond flour like I usually do, I decided to give hazelnut flour a try.  I loved the results!  The hazelnut flavor is subtle, but it adds a layer of intriguing and earthy sweetness to the cake.  (If you have trouble finding hazelnut flour, you can make your own by grinding hazelnuts in a food processor, or you can substitute almond flour.)

Second, I replaced the brown sugar with a smaller amount of honey.  I knew the dates would already be adding a lot of sweetness to the cake, and figured a touch of honey would round things out perfectly.  I was very happy with the sweetness level of the finished product--this cake great for dessert or with afternoon tea, but isn't too sweet to be enjoyed for breakfast.

Lastly, I reduced the amount of cinnamon in the batter because I wanted to dust the pan with cinnamon. This helped keep the cake from sticking and gave it a wonderfully rich brown color on the outside.

To finish things off, the cake is dusted with powdered sugar.  I made powdered turbinado sugar using a spice grinder, but any powdered sugar will work!

I hope you give this delectable date cake a try--I know I'll be making it again!  Also, next time you're looking for baking inspiration, stop by and browse at The more than occasional baker.

Cinnamon Hazelnut Date Cake

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (adapted from The more than occasional baker):

2 cups pitted Mejdool dates (about 3/4 pound or 25 dates)

3 large eggs

1/4 cup ghee or unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for the pan

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 cups lightly packed hazelnut flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Powdered raw or coconut sugar, for serving*

*To powder raw or coconut sugar, pulse it briefly in a coffee or spice grinder.

Place the pitted dates in a heatproof bowl and pour in boiling water to cover.  Let the dates soak for at least ten minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 9-cup Bundt pan with ghee or butter and dust with cinnamon. (You can also bake the cake in a larger, 12-cup capacity Bundt pan, but it will not be as tall, and the baking time may be shorter.)

Drain the dates, discarding the soaking water, and place them in the bowl of a large (8-cup capacity) food processor. Pulse a few times to break up the dates. Add the eggs one at a time, pulsing a few times and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until only small specks of dates remain. Pulse in the softened ghee or butter, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt until a smooth batter forms. (If your food processor is small, just transfer the batter to a large bowl now and then mix in the remaining ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula.)

Add the hazelnut meal, tapioca flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar, and process until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and use a rubber spatula to smooth the top and make sure the batter is evenly distributed. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is set in the middle and a toothpick comes out without any goo (a few small crumbs are fine).

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, and then carefully run a thin knife around the inner and outer edges of the cake to loosen it. You can try to invert the cake onto a plate at this point if it seems loose, but it might need a little bit more cajoling. If it does, place it in the freezer for 30-40 minutes, then dip the bottom of the pan into a bowl of very hot water for about 30 seconds. Invert the cake onto a plate, and it should slide right out.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired, slice, and serve.

Used in this recipe:

         

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