Date Cake with Rum Sauce
A new magazine launched the year my first child was born. Every issue had a Party Guide feature in the back, complete with invitation ideas, moody music, full menus with recipes, and what to pour. I tore the entertainment guides out of every issue and made myself a complete party guide notebook. Years later, the book, InStyle Parties was published, but my collection is much larger. Colin Cowie was a featured event planner on several occasions, and his African roots became the inspiration for a bookclub dinner and discussion I hosted after our group read The Poisonwood Bible.
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup pitted and chopped fresh Medjool dates (about 10)
- 2 1/2 TBS unsalted butter – room temperature – plus more for pan
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 8 oz gluten free flour (King Arthur)
- 4 oz almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped
- Confectioners’ sugar – to dust top
- Heavy cream – whipped, for serving
Grease a 9 inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350 degreesPlace the dates in a small bowl. Add baking soda to boiling water and pour over dates. Set aside for 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together the gluten free flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients, followed by the dates and their soaking liquid. Fold in the nuts. Fold to combine.
Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan and bake for around 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan. Remove parchment paper and cool on a wire rack.
Pour a little rum sauce over the cake and dust with confectioners sugar.
Serve slices topped fresh whipped cream and extra rum sauce.
Rum Sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tbs unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dark rum
In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add rum and carefully ignite with a long lighter to burn off the alcohol. Return to low heat and simmer. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
