Self-Frosting Date Cake
Submitted by robatchase
Moist date cake topped with brown sugar, pecans, and chocolate chips that melt into a crunchy, fudgy self-frosting as it bakes. One pan, no separate frosting needed.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThe topping on this cake is pure brilliance. A mix of brown sugar, chopped pecans, and semi-sweet chocolate chips gets sprinkled over the batter before baking. As it rises, the topping sinks slightly, melts, and fuses into a crunchy, fudgy crust.
No frosting step. No waiting for the cake to cool before you decorate. It does the work itself.
Underneath that topping is a tender, sticky-sweet crumb loaded with chopped dates that have been softened in boiling water and baking soda, giving the cake an old-fashioned richness you just can’t get from sugar alone.
Kitchen Tips
- Pour the boiling water over the dates and baking soda and walk away. They need time to cool and soften before they go into the batter.
- Cream the shortening and sugar until genuinely fluffy. This is where the cake gets its lift.
- Don’t stir the topping into the batter. Sprinkle it evenly and let it do its thing in the oven.
- Swap pecans for walnuts if that’s what you have. Both pair beautifully with dates and chocolate.
Ingredients
Directions
Stir dates and soda into boiling water; set aside, and let cool.
Cream shortening; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well at medium speed on mixer.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with date mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Mix after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13×9×2 inch baking pan.
Combine brown sugar, pecans and chocolate morsels; sprinkle over top of batter.
Bake at 350? for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
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