Sticky Toffee Date Cake

For Christmas baking last year I bought way too many dates. My calculation from medjool to regular date was slightly off. 3 pounds off it seems! What to do....

In my quest to use more of my cook books more often I went on the hunt for a recipe that used a lot of dates at once.

I came across on in Ina Garten's - Barefoot Contessa - Foolproof that I received for Christmas. Man I wish they showed her show in Canada again.

The recipe is for Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Bourbon Glaze. The bonus is that the recipe calls for 3/4 pound of dates!

Sticky Toffee Date Cake

For this recipe I used:



Cake:
3/4 Pounds of Pitted & Chopped Dates
1 3/4 Cups of Water
1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
4 Ounces (1 Stick) of Unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

Sauce:
6 Ounces (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Tablespoons of Bourbon
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - The Cake Ingredients

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Buttered and Floured 9" Pan

I stared by chopping the dates and placing them in a pot with 1 3/4 cups of Water.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Chopping the dates

I heated the dates until boiling, stirring frequently to break them up. I let the pot boil for just a minute.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Boiling the Dates

Once off the heat I added the teaspoon of baking soda, stirred and set the pot aside.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Adding the Baking Soda

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Foamy after Mixing in the Baking Soda

Next it was time to sift together the flour and salt.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Sifting the Flour and Salt

In the mixer I added the softened butter and sugar and creamed it together for 2 or 3 minutes. Until light and fluffy.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Creaming the Butter & Sugar

Once the butter was fully creamed I added vanilla and the flour and mixed it in on low until just combined. 

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Carefully Mixing in the flour

Now I added the slightly cooled date mixture in 2 batches. Then I added the baking powder and mixed the batter by hand.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Adding the Cooked Dates

Then it was off to the oven for about 30 minutes at 350˚.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - In the Oven!

Near the end of the baking time for the cake I started in on the Bourbon Glaze.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Bourbon Glaze Ingredients

In a pot I combined everything except the Bourbon & Vanilla and brought it to a low boil. The recipe indicates to simmer for about 1 minute. See Baker's notes.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Bourbon Glaze Ingredients ready to Simmer

Once simmered I poured the sauce into a glass measuring cup and added the Bourbon & Vanilla.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Adding the Bourbon and Vanilla

Once the cake came out of the oven I poked it all over with a skewer.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Properly Poked

Next I drizzled about 3/4 of the sauce over the cake and let it soak in for about 1/2 an hour.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - The First Soaking with the Glaze

After the 1/2 hour wait I turned the cake out onto a serving place then poured the rest of the Bourbon glaze over the cake to make a nice flat shiny surface.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - The Final Shot

Then it was time to serve!

Sticky Toffee Date Cake - Moist and Flavourful

So moist and tender and very tasty.

Baker's Notes:

• This cake easily feeds a crowd. It uses a larger than normal 9" pan.
• The sauce did not really perform for me. After about an hour on the serving place the glaze clouded over - a butter film is the best description. 
• I think my glaze issue could be corrected by rapidly boiling the sauce (rather than simmering it) for 3 minutes. This would require following the cake soaking timing pretty closely in case the last 1/4 of the sauce solidifies. No guarantees though.
• I have no problem making this cake again!