SUPER MOIST TOFFEE & DATE LOAF CAKE

Drizzle that TOFFEE!

One of the loveliest things you’ll find in abundance during Ramadan is the date — succulent, juicy, sweet, and tender with soft caramel flesh, mostly of the medjool variety, and always living up to their name; nature’s candy. And one of the most incredible and timeless desserts you could possibly make with them, is this delicious toffee and date loaf cake, bringing together those juicy medjools, cinnamon, brown sugar, coffee, and butter. 

What you’ll have is a mind-boggling combination of Ramadan, Autumn, Winter, the Arabian Nights entwined with Old London, and a dash of magic, and sticky-toffee-pudding-vibes. There’s really no other way to describe it.  Back down to earth now — besides the obvious health benefits that have been known to the date for thousands of years, the medjool date is particularly close to my heart. Here in Egypt, we have multiple date vendors, but there are a few that are my favorites, topping that list would be Linah Farms, whose consistency and quality is beyond measure. But if you cant get your hands on a box of these delights for any reason, that’s okay. Just make sure, for this particular recipe, you have those beautiful, soft medjool dates, or ajwa, which is the ready-made date paste that you can purchase ready to use.

Which brings me to the recipe. There are some steps, but it is fairly simple, and a couple of tips at the end there to keep your cake super moist, and living a nice long life in your fridge or on your counter. Regarding your pans, I always opt for the large USA pans that make quite a big loaf. You can opt for 2 smaller loaf pans, or a large bundt pan, or 2 medium bundt pans. 

Ingredients

• 2 Cups medjool dates, pitted (about 500g) or ready made Ajwa (400g)

• 3/4 Cup Water (approx. 180ml)

• 1/2 Cup Butter, softened or melted (approx. 120g)

• 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar (approx. 150g)

• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil (approx. 100g)

• 4 Large Eggs (preferably room temperature)

• 3/4 Cup Coffee, medium-strong (approx. 180ml — you can use instant coffee if you like)

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour (approx. 250g)

• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

• 1/4 tsp Salt

• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

For the Toffee Sauce

• 1 Cup Packed Brown sugar (approx. 250g)

• 1/2 Cup Butter (approx. 120g)

• 1/2 Cup Heavy cream (approx. 120ml)

• 1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

FOR THE CAKE:

• Preheat the oven to 180.C and grease your pan(s) and apply parchment paper if using loaf pans. If using a bundt pan, sprinkle flour over greased pan. Set aside.

• Chop the dates as small as you can go, and place in a medium saucepan, and add the water.Cook the dates over medium heat, mashing them as you go until the water has dissolved and you have a paste. Optionally, you can also use Ajwa (ready made date paste), following the same instructions. Set aside.

• In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together, then mix to combine and set aside.

• In another bowl, beat the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy, using a hand or standing mixer.

• Add the dates paste and keep mixing until the date paste is completely incorporated within the mixture. 

• Drizzle the oil into the mixture in intervals, and keep beating.

• Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate each egg completely into the mixture before adding the next.

• Add the flour mix in batches. It will become quite thick. 

• Gradually add the hot coffee in several additions, beating as you go.

• Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Gently pierce with a toothpick, and if it comes out clean from the center of the cake, it’s good to go. If not, leave it in for another 5 minutes. Repeat until toothpick comes out clean.

• Remove the cake from the oven and wait 10 to 12 minutes before inverting it to your cooling rack or serving platter.

FOR THE TOFFEE SAUCE:

• In a saucepan, add the sugar, butter, and heavy cream together.

• Stir and cook it all over high heat for a couple of minutes until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer while stirring for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt. 

• While it’s hot, carefully pour a few tablespoons spoons over the cake, and use a silicone brush to spread the toffee over the top of the cake. 

• Pour remaining toffee into a glass jar, and don’t worry if it’s a bit runny — as it cools, it will thicken. 

IMPORTANT NOTE TO KEEP IT MOIST:

As the cake cools, let's say about 30 minutes after removing it from the oven, try to minimize it's exposure to air -- wrap loosely with clingfilm or keep it covered in a container. This keeps the cake super moist, even days later.

Enjoy the cake sliced in chunky slices when it’s cooled with a cup of tea or coffee, keeping your sauce jar handy on the side and drizzle liberally over your cake slices. 

IMPORTANT: Notes about storing — it stays perfectly in tact for 4 days in room temperature if it’’s autumn or winter, as long as it is in an air-tight container.  In warmer climates, keep it in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a week. 

Notes about additions — you can always opt to add more things. For example, orange zest, nuts, chocolate chips, other kinds of dried fruit. This will add additional flavor and make its truly yours with your own touch.