There are few things that most Iranian household always have at home. Dates and walnuts are among these ingredients. I saw a TV program where they made a date cake and got very inspired to do my own version. Here is my interpretation. I decorated my cake with icing – but it is not necessary, the cake is such a delight without the icing as well.
Ingredients:
2,5 dl pitted dates chopped
3,5 dl fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon concentrated orange juice
60 grams chopped walnuts
190-gram flour
105-gram sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
0,5 teaspoon baking powder
1 ml salt
1 ml ground clove
1 ml ground cardamom
1 ml ground cinnamon
1 egg
0,5 dl vegetable oil
Icing:
200-gram soft Philadelphia cheese
1 dl sifted icing sugar
2 – 3 table spoon lemon juice
Decoration: chopped pitted dates, chopped walnuts and dry freeze dried raspberry.
- Heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
- Bring dates and orange juice and zest to a simmer. Add the chopped walnuts and remove from heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of concentrated orange juice to the mixture and set aside to cool. (20 degrees Celsius)..
- Meanwhile, sift flour, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and set aside.
- In a separate bowl mix egg and oil until very well mixed.
- When the date mixture has reached approximately 20 degrees C, mix it with the egg and oil mixture, finally add the flour mixture Mix well and pour it in a loaf pan that in volume can contain 1,7 liters.
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until a wooden stick comes out clean.
- For the icing:
Let the cake cool completely.
Bring the cheese to room temperature.
Sift the icing sugar, add the cheese and lemon juice. Mix it well.
Spread over the cake and decorate with walnuts and chopped dates.
Put the cake in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
Enjoy!
