Eggless Dates Cake

Yummy dates cake, eggless, butterless that too!! Shilpa was the lady who was persistant I take to baking, try this cake out from her blog. I prepared this for the first time and burnt it. But being a first time baker, this incident didn't dampen my spirits. I tried it again after 3-4 days. The result was a lovely moist date cake, which, as per Shilpa, spread the date cake fever around!! I have prepared it half-a-dozen times till date!

Shilpa, simple thanks to you, for making me bake and prepare this 'love of the family, friends & neighbourhood' cake! I am not too good with photography, hence the above snaps doesn't allot justice to the flavour and looks of this cake.

This recipe is a dates recipe, varieties of dates are available in market. The ideal ones to be used here are Khajoor. The dried ones are called Khareek. Dates also have great medicinal values.


Here is the recipe :

Ingredients :
18 dates (seeded) wet dates
3/4th cup milk
3/4th cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour/maida
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbspn walnuts chopped

Method :
Soak the dates overnight in 3/4th cup milk. De-seed it. If its very wet in texture, you may skip the soaking step. De-seed the dates and use.
In a blender, take sugar, milk and dates and blend till dates are coarsely chopped. (Pieces of dates in cake tastes yummy while you eat the cake. If not, then blend to a smooth paste). Add oil and blend till it mixes well. Take the mixture out. Sift flour with baking soda, add spoon by spoon in this mixture till its incorporated. Add walnuts mix well with a spoon.
Take a 8" round pan or bakeware of your choice (9" x 5" loafware too works fine.) Grease the pan with generous amount of butter and flour.(click on the word 'grease' for a video on how to grease & flour). OR You can line it with a waxed paper/ parchment paper. Pour this mixture in the greased pan.
Pre-heat oven for 10 minutes on 375 degrees F. Bake for 35-40 mins, or check for readiness with a toothpick, bake till insterted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5-7 mins. Take it out of pan on a wire rack or an aluminium foil. Cool it completely and cut into slices. Yummy Dates-Cake Ready to be savoured! The above quantity gives 12 big pieces.(Ref-RHS pic).