Hot Date Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. In a saucepan, combine water and raisins. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped dates and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour, salt and date mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and set oven to Broil.
• Make Topping: In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir in brown sugar, cream and chopped nuts. Spread mixture over warm cake and place under broiler until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully - it burns easily under the broiler. Cool before serving.

Steps:

• Liberally butter two 6-by-3-inch cake pans and dust with flour. Tap out the excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter and milk and heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Alternatively, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and milk and microwave on high at 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until the butter is melted. Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl. Set aside and let cool to slightly above room temperature; an instant-read thermometer should register between 80 and 85 degrees F. You want the milk and butter to remain incorporated, so whisk the mixture occasionally and vigorously while it is cooling and up until you add it to the batter. In the top pan of a double boiler or in a bowl for a bain-marie, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Fit the top pan or bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in the bottom pan or a saucepan and gently warm the mixture, stirring, just until the sugar is dissolved and the thermometer registers 110 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Pour the egg mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and has cooled to slightly above room temperature (between 80 and 85 degrees F), about 10 minutes. (Note: The batter becomes more stable as the mixture cools; this is an important factor in creating a cake with good structure.) Stop the mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, preferably by hand, lifting and folding in from the bottom center. Or, use the mixer set on low and whisk just until incorporated, about 5 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again just briefly by hand or machine. The batter should be smooth. Check the milk mixture to make sure it is fully cooled, then slowly pour it into the batter, whisking on low speed. Stop mixing as soon as the batter is well blended and smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and fold by hand a few times with the spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. When the cakes are cooled enough to handle the pans but still a tad warm to the touch, carefully run an offset spatula around the edges of the pans to loosen them, then invert the cakes onto the racks and remove the pans. Let cool for about 30 minutes longer. Wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate to ensure that the interiors are completely cooled before decorating, at least 1 hour or for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap tightly in a second layer of plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Add the dates, baking soda and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until greatly reduced, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Mash the dates into a paste. Set aside.
• Add the butter and brown sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until soft. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, allspice, baking powder and salt. Add to the stand mixer large spoonfuls of the flour mixture and date paste, alternating between each. Beat until combined. Evenly scoop the cake batter into the mini muffin tins, to the top of each cup.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for 20 to 25 minutes. Poke with a wooden skewer to make sure it's done.
• For the toffee sauce: Mix the heavy cream and brown sugar together in a pot. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• For the whipped cream: Add the heavy cream, vanilla, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger to the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks are formed.
• Invert the cakes onto a serving platter or plate. Poke the now tops of the cakes with a wooden skewer. Pour about 1/2 cup toffee sauce over the top of each cake. Dollop the whipped cream over the top of each cake.