Choco Date Cake
Submitted by pattycakes
Choco date cake folds simmered medjool-style dates, oats, and semisweet chocolate chips into a buttery sheet cake. Caramelized date sweetness with melty pockets of chocolate, baked in a 13×9 and topped with whipped cream.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
35 minREADY
60 minChoco date cake is the kind of homestyle sheet cake that earns its keep through the magic of stewed dates. Simmering them in water for ten minutes turns the dates into a thick, jammy paste that disappears into the batter and adds a deep, almost butterscotch sweetness without any actual brown sugar.
The trick is letting that date mixture cool completely before adding it to the creamed butter. Warm dates would melt the butter and ruin the cake’s structure. Patience here pays off.
Quick-cooking oats add a chewy, hearty crumb that takes the cake somewhere between a coffee cake and a snack cake. The semisweet chocolate chips sink halfway through the batter and create gooey pockets that cut the date sweetness.
A dollop of sweetened whipped cream on each square is all the topping it needs. The cake itself is rich enough to stand alone, and the cool cream contrast is what makes it a proper dessert.
Pro Tips
- Pit the dates carefully and check for stones before chopping, one missed pit will ruin a slice.
- Use real butter, not margarine, the cake’s flavor relies on it.
- Don’t substitute instant oats for quick-cooking, instant goes mushy and changes the texture.
- The cake is done when the top is set and a tester comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Variations
- Add a half cup of toasted walnuts or pecans for crunch.
- Swap chocolate chips for white chocolate or butterscotch chips for a different flavor profile.
- Top with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce instead of whipped cream for a dessert that doubles down on richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the dates and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together, blending well, then set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl, until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer set on medium speed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla.
Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, blending well.
Stir in the date mixture, oats, and chocolate chips, mixing until well blended.
Pour the batter into a greased 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan.
Bake in a preheated 350 Degree F oven for 35 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Serve the cake topped with sweetened whipped cream.
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