Monday, July 21, 2014

Date and Apple Cakes


I am a huge fan of dates, and I eat them like lollies.  Accordingly, when I saw a recipe for date and apple cakes on p69 of the July 2014 edition of Taste magazine, I had to make them.

These date and apple cakes tend towards the healthier side of things, as they contain spelt flour instead of plain flour, and coconut oil.  They contain comparatively little sugar, with the sweetness coming primarily from the dates.  Best of all, they are moist and delicious. The magazine served them with a caramel sauce, so that they resembled little sticky date puddings, but I didn't bother with the sauce.

To make these little cakes, you will need:

135g pitted dried dates
250ml water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
60ml (1/4 cup) solid coconut oil
1/3 cup sugar (they used coconut sugar, I used white sugar)
240g white spelt flour
2 eggs
1 peeled and grated Granny Smith apple
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and spray a 12 hole muffin tin with cooking oil.

Put the dates and water into a small saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.  Take the saucepan off the stove then stir in the bicarbonate of soda.  Allow the mixture to cool.

Beat the coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of sugar together  until light and creamy, then add 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 egg.  Beat to combine, then repeat with another tablespoon of flour and the remaining egg.  Fold through the grated apple and half of the remaining flour, then fold in the baking powder, cinnamon, date mixture and the last of the flour.

Using an icecream scoop, divide the mixture evenly between the 12 holes of the greased muffin tin, then bake for ~25 minutes.  Cool the cakes in the tin for 5 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 comments:

  1. Marion and I just went a hunting spree for a date treat we both love. They are little rolls of dates covered with coconut. We haven't seen them in a while but still keep hunting for them. Marion "swears" by dates saying they are not only filled with iron but that they also give her energy, lol..(at 94 she has more energy than me most times:)

    I will have to surprise her someday with these Date and Apple Cakes. Apple season is right around the corner so it won't be long:)

    Thanks for sharing, Cakelaw:)

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  2. Very interesting and yummy combo for cakes. Apples and dates are also my favorite. You have a nice day and regards, Cakelaw :)

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  3. you can't go wrong with dates and apples - and this sounds like a nice healthy treat

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  4. I am a huge fan of dates as well (the eating kind and the other kind) and combining them with apples just ups the ante as they say. Everyone is cooking with coconut oil these days and I have yet to buy any and try it...this might be a good recipe to do that, and I think I can make them like muffins and pass them off for breakfast, don't you? :-)

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