Spiced Date Cake with Caramel Sauce
Dense, moist cake studded with pureed dates and warm spices, finished with buttery caramel sauce spiked with coriander and cinnamon, topped with vanilla whipped cream. The Shawarma spice blend—coriander, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, turmeric, and black pepper—brings savory complexity to the dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pitted dried dates
- water
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps Shawarma Spice Blend
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsps butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Shawarma Spice Blend
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsps ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (350°F).
- 2
Bring dates and water to boil in a small saucepan on medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes. Drain and process in food processor until smooth.
- 3
Mix flour, Shawarma Spice Blend, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- 4
Beat softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- 5
Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in yogurt and date mixture until well blended.
- 6
Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended.
- 7
Pour batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan.
- 8
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
- 9
For caramel sauce: cook granulated sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown, swirling pan occasionally without stirring.
- 10
Add butter and stir until melted.
- 11
Add heavy cream and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- 12
Remove from heat and stir in Shawarma Spice Blend and vanilla extract.
- 13
For whipped cream: beat heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
- 14
Serve cake with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Tips
Swirl the saucepan during caramel cooking without stirring to ensure even browning and prevent crystallization.
Date mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Whipped cream should be beaten just to soft peaks to avoid overwhipping.
Good to Know
Cake wrapped tightly at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerated up to 4 days. Caramel sauce refrigerated in airtight container up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving.
Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Caramel sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead. Whipped cream must be made fresh.
Serve cake at room temperature or slightly warm with caramel sauce drizzled over top and a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
Common Mistakes
Do not stir caramel while cooking to avoid crystallization; only swirl the pan.
Do not overbake the cake; test with a toothpick starting at 35 minutes to avoid dryness.
Do not overbeat whipped cream or it will curdle into butter.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Vegan Options
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