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Every holiday season, as I prepare the list of baked goods I want to make, I always go back to family recipes. Many of them hold so many cherished memories. And honestly, isn’t that the real reason why Christmas is so special? I usually stick to the tried-and-true staples, but I also try some new recipes. These cakes aren’t really new: I found the recipe while going through my family’s old recipes. This is one my grandma made, but I can’t actually recall ever eating it!
While dates aren’t something we bake with very often, years ago, they were often used in desserts, prized for their sweetness and their exoticness. Nowadays, come the holiday season, large Medjool dates pop up in stores, and I cannot stop myself from buying them. That’s the reason why this recipe is perfect this year! It’s a delicious and super moist cake, almost pudding-like, with a boozy sauce poured over the top and left to soak in. Need I say more?
More Christmas Desserts
- Cookies and cream fudge
- Peanut butter truffles
- Decadent chocolate mousse
- Brownie thins
- White fruitcake
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Sticky Date Cake
Ingredients
For the cakes
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped dates
- ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans
For the sauce
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp cognac
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Instructions
For the cakes
- Preheat the oven for 350°F.
- Spread pecans on a baking sheet in an even layer. Toast in oven until fragrant, 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and chop coarsely. Set aside.¾ cup toasted chopped pecans
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, 3-5 minutes.8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar
- Mix in the eggs until well combined.2 large eggs
- Add the applesauce and vanilla. Scrape the bowl and mix to make sure everything is incorporated.2 cups applesauce, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sift together the dry ingredients and mix them, adding all at once. Mix until no dry streaks remain, 1 minute.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Chop the dates. To decrease the stickiness of the dates, freeze them ahead of time. Additionally, greasing a knife blade can help assist the chopping of the date.1 cup chopped dates
- Add the dates and pecans, mixing to incorporate.
- Grease 1 10-cup Bundt pan or 8 6-ounce ramekins. Scoop batter into the pan and bake in the preheated oven until set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45-60 minutes (or 20-25 minutes if using individual ramekins).
For the sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, and orange juice. Bring to a low boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes.1 cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- Remove from heat and add butter, cognac, vanilla, salt, and zest. Stir to melt butter.3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp cognac, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp orange zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Poke holes in the cake and slowly pour the sauce over the warm cake. Allow the liquid to soak in and continue to pour until all sauce has been used.
- Serve immediately. Add a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to each slice of cake.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
I noticed you used 3 eggs in the demo, but the recipe says 2 eggs. Which is it?
Fabulous! Everyone loved it!
Did you use 2 or 3 eggs. In his demo he used 3 eggs, so I don’t know which to use.
Hi Kaleb,
Love your videos. I plan to make the Sticky Date Pecan Cake. It reminds me of steamed cake recipes. Any idea if this cake can be steamed instead of baked?