Date cake

A couple of days ago I mentioned dates, delicious dates; here is another lovely recipe which is quite seasonal with the spices! i actually think you could have a combination of Christmassy spices, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon etc, and I wonder what it would be like if you added rum or brandy instead of milk to slacken the mixture? Maybe I will try this next time!!

This is another Iraqi recipe:

• 10 oz pitted roughly chopped dates
• 4 oz butter
• 3 oz sugar
• o oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 beaten eggs
• 2½ tbsp milk
• 1 oz chopped walnuts
•  1 tbsp oil
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of spice of your choice, e.g. ground ginger, fennel, cardamom etc

1. heat the oil and add the dates and cook very gently until they semi-melt together…. be really, really careful that they don’t catch and burn, then leave them to cool
2. mix butter and sugar until pale and creamy
3. add alternately the eggs and the flour sifted with the baking powder, salt and spice, and beat together quite gently but thoroughly – add the walnut pieces
4. very. very gently, fold in the dates, adding the milk to make a soft mix – you may need more or less than the 2½ tbsp
5. pour into a well-greased cake tin (you might like to put a circle of greased greaseproof paper on the bottom) cook at 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 for about an hour – check and maybe cook for another 10-15 minutes.
6. turn out of tin and cool