Moist Date Cake

Recipe View Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside. (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a heatproof bowl, combine chopped dates and baking soda. Pour boiling water over the mixture and let it stand for 10 minutes to soften the dates. (10 minutes)

Recipe View In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar, 2 1/2 cups flour, and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Add the egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and the softened butter. Mix until just combined. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Stir in the soaked dates (with the liquid) into the batter until well combined. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the pans. (30 minutes)

Recipe View Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. (10 minutes)

Recipe View While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium saucepan, whisk together buttermilk, 1 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, and 4 tablespoons of flour. (3 minutes)

Recipe View Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. This should take about 5-7 minutes. (7 minutes)

Recipe View Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the remaining 1 cup of chopped walnuts. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Once the cakes are completely cool, spread the frosting evenly between the layers and over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides for an elegant look. (5 minutes)