Date Rum & Orange Cake

By foodiva

A moist, festive loaf cake with rum-soaked dates and lots of orange juice!

Ingredients

• 280 gms pitted dates, chopped small
• 4 medium oranges
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp clove powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar*
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temp (55 gms)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
In a small bowl, add the chopped dates and the juice of one orange. Pour the rum over the dates and mix well. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, squeeze out the juice of the remaining oranges and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the spices and salt, if using. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 175 C and lightly grease a 9x5 loaf tin. Line it with baking paper and leave a little overhang for easy removal. Grease the paper as well. Set aside.

In a mixing bow, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until pale, then add the egg and vanilla, beating again till combined.

Pour in the remaining orange juice from step 1 and mix on low, then gradually add the flour, folding to combine. The baking soda and orange juice will react, causing the batter to look frothy, don't get alarmed :)

Finally, pour in the soaked dates along with all of the liquid in the bowl. Mix well, then pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. If the top is getting too dark, cover the tin loosely with foil. Start checking for doneness around 45 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the paper and place on a wire rack. Peel off the edges of the paper and allow the cake to cool completely before slicing with a long, serrated knife. Enjoy!

Instructions