Date Cake

Last week, when I COULD NOT stop eating some delicious dried dates, I needed to take emergency action before I consumed the entire pound in one sitting. The solution was to bake these beauties into a wonderful date cake, a moist and yummy confection that's as good three days after it's baked as it is fresh from the oven.

Recipes featuring dates were extremely popular in the early to mid-20th century, when the vintage recipe card I used was probably written. Dried dates -- available year-round when most fruits were out of season up north -- added sweetness and moisture to all manner of baked goods.

I did not follow the confusing instructions (which I later figured out called for beating the butter, adding the sugar and THEN the egg) but simply mixing them all at once worked fine.

Spoon the batter into a greased and floured pan. I used a round pan, but this cake would be better in a square pan.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. The edges of the cake will separate from the sides. Let it cool in the pan for about ten to 15 minutes...

before turning it out to cool completely.

Cake as Pac Man.

Because the instructions on the original recipe card are literally all over the place, I rewrote it for easy baking.

Date Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease and flour an 8 x 8 inch square or 9-inch round pan. (Square pan is best.)

1 c chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c chopped nuts
1 c boiling water
1/2 c (one stick) unsalted butter
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla or almond extract

In a bowl, combine dates, baking soda and boiling water.  Set aside.
In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Cream butter, add sugar and blend well.
Add egg and combine.
Add date mixture.  Add nuts.
Add dry ingredients and blend.
Add in flavoring (vanilla or almond)
Combine well, pour into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes.
Let cool slightly and turn out of pan.
Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.


Production notes: Do not add the nuts to the first mixture, which is covered with boiling water. That would make them too soft. I've also found that non-pitted dates are moister, so I use those, but the pitted ones would also be fine, especially because they are softened by the boiling water.

Date Squares (orig. old recipe)

Date squares may seem an unusual choice for a birthday celebration, except these sweeties were made for my friend Stephen (who's pretty sweet himself) from a recipe in the collection of his late mother, Olive Facey.  I have a feeling she made these a lot -- there were three cards bearing this identical recipe.

Date desserts were very popular in the 20th century.  They are still a big hit today -- my work colleagues finished these in record time.  (I'm not sure about the small birthday package filled with date squares I gave Stephen's partner to give to him.  Last I heard, said partner had eaten one, and possibly all.)

These date squares are technically a filled bar cookie.  The date filling is sandwiched between the base and the topping, but since the topping and base are the same, it's simpler than it appears.

As with many old handwritten recipes, one must know *something* about baking to follow them correctly. For example, to make the base, the card says: Mix all ingredients as for pie crust.  This means that the cold butter is cut into the other ingredients (for cake, softened butter is blended with the sugar).  You can use a pastry cutter, two knives or a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

The end result is a crumb-like mixture.  Put a little more than half into an 8 or 9-inch square pan, which you've greased with butter or Crisco.

Press it into the pan.  I used my non-latex gloved hands to do this.

Next (or first, but separately in any event), prepare the date filling.  Chop the dates -- I put a little sugar on them to make them less sticky.

Cook them with the sugar and water.

Spoon the date filling atop the base.  (You need not make the continent of Africa, as I did.)

Smooth it out carefully until it reaches the corners.  An offset spatula or the back of a spoon is good for this task.

Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top.  Use it all, even though it seems like you have too much.

An aerial view.

Production notes: I followed the recipe exactly.  For "1 pkge dates" I used eight ounces of pitted dates. Mixing like a pie crust means to start with cold butter cut into cubes, and "cut" with two knives, a pastry blender or a food processor, into all the other ingredients until the mixture resembles small peas.
For the date filling, mine never turned "clear" and it's very forgiving, so just cook the mixture until it's the consistency you want.
For the topping, simply spoon it on top until the date filling is no longer visible.
I also used an 8-inch pan (don't own a 9-inch one), and it worked fine.  Be sure to grease it well, or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

Holiday Plum Pudding with Crimson Sauce

Growing up Jewish in the midwest, and even living here in New York City, I had never before laid eyes upon plum pudding (much less tasted it) before I made this vintage version on Sunday.  I'm pleased to report it is delicious and was a big hit at our belated  family potato latke party.

The c. 1950s American recipe I used does not appear to be traditional, as most plum puddings are baked in a mold, then turned out from said mold, doused with alcohol and flambeed in the kitchen, or table side for a dramatic presentation. But I do think this version has the ability to be baked and presented that way.

I also was astonished to discover that plum pudding (also called Christmas pudding) contains no plums; the name refers to raisins, which is apparently what the British called plums when this dish was created in medieval England.  It is also more of a cake than a pudding, and also has no flour -- relying on bread cubes instead.



Chop some walnuts (the recipe called for "nuts" which often refers to walnuts in vintage recipes) and breaking from tradition, this recipe offered a choice of raisins or dates.  Not being a raisin fan, I used dates.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl before pouring into a buttered casserole dish.

My pudding runneth over during baking (and I've yet to summon the courage to face the floor of my oven, but soon!).  Place the dish on a cookie sheet or some foil before baking to prevent such tragedy in your own oven.

While the pudding is ruining your oven baking, start the crimson sauce, a bright combination of cranberries, honey, butter and fresh lemon juice.