Sticky Date & Coconut Cake

Unfortunately my work schedule has been hindering my ability to make dinner lately. I managed to make roasted vegetable pizza last weekend and decided to top the meal off with a delicious dessert. I found this recipe in Cooking Light a couple years ago for this "pudding-like" cake made with dates topped with a brown sugary/coconut mixture. Oddly we had dates in the fridge and had no agenda for them. Honestly I thought this cake could be really good or a big disappointment. It turned out to be very delicious. It was more of a fudgy/chewy texture than it was pudding-like. It was very easy and quick to throw together. Try it out!

Sticky Date and Coconut Cake

Cake:

  1 C. chopped pitted dates

  1 C. water

  1 t. baking soda

  3 T. butter (vegan butter or margarine)

  dash of salt

  1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

  1 t. baking soda

  1/2 t. salt

  1 C. granulated sugar

  1 t. vanilla extract

  1 egg, lightly beaten (I use Ener-G Egg Replacer)

  cooking spray

Topping:

  2/3 C. packed brown sugar

  1/2 C. flaked sweetened coconut

  2 1/2 T. butter

  2 t. milk (soy, rice, or whatever kind you use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

To prepare cake, combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and let stand 10 minutes or until dates are tender. 

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 t. salt in a bowl. Stir in date mixture, granulated sugar, vanilla, and egg (or egg replacer mixture) until well combined. Pour batter into a 9" springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. 

To prepare topping, combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Pour brown sugar mixture over cake; bake for an additional 13 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

One suggestion I would make is to add a little chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping mixture. Don't get me wrong, the cake is absolutely delicious even with out the nuts! I will definitely add this one to my recipe collection.

God's blessings to you,


Chef Teebs