This date and honey cake makes a perfect alternative to the traditional honey cake typically served on Rosh Hashanah. Pressed dates are available at most kosher supermarkets, as well as Middle Eastern supermarkets and online. However, you can make it with regular medjool dates as well.
As with most loaf cakes, this dessert keeps very well and will be just as delicious (if not more delicious) the day after you make it. Date molasses (known as silan in Israel) is available online and at Middle Eastern and kosher markets. Regular honey is a good substitute. Use pareve chocolate chips to make the cake enitrely pareve.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pitted medjool dates or 9 ounces pressed dates
- 1 cup boiling water
- ¾ cup corn or canola oil
- ¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ cup honey or date molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups flour
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (use pareve for pareve cake)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line a 9” x 5” or a 11” x 4” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Put pitted dates or pressed dates in the bowl of a food processor together with the boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Press the dates down to make sure they are completely covered with water. After 5 minutes, mix to create a paste. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the oil, sugar, honey and eggs.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat paddle (or in a large bowl and a spatula), mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the oil mixture and the pureed dates to the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts on top.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center of the loaf comes out with crumbs. Let cool on a cooling rack.
- Keep at room temperature, lightly covered with aluminum foil, for up to 5 days
