Coffee Toffee Date Bundt Cake
8
- Prep Time30 mins
- Total Time2 hrs 15 mins
- Makes8 to 10 servings
Recipe by Tara O’Brady. Produced by Sun Ngo. Photography by Christie Vuong. Prop Styling by Nicole Billark. Food styling by Michelle Rabin. Press-on nails courtesy of KISS.
This plush date and coffee Bundt cake is anointed with glistening toffee sauce.
Cake
Baking spray for pan
250 g whole pitted dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 1⁄3 cups hot strong coffee, divided
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1⁄4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp black treacle or molasses
1 tbsp vanilla-bean paste
3 large eggs
Sauce
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup 35% cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp coffee liqueur or prepared coffee
1 tsp vanilla-bean paste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Prepared custard, whipped cream or ice cream for serving
Instructions
Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat to 325F. Spray a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray. Set aside.
Cake: Combine dates and baking soda in a medium heatproof bowl. Stir in 1 1⁄4 cups coffee, ensuring dates are submerged. Let stand for 15 min.
Meanwhile, whisk flour with baking powder, 1 tsp salt, cinnamon and ginger in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine 1 1⁄4 cups brown sugar with 3⁄4 cup butter, treacle and 1 tbsp vanilla-bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until creamy, working up to medium-high speed. Beat for an additional 2 min, then stop and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Beat for 3 more min, then repeat scraping. Reduce speed to medium and beat for 1 more min. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed.
Dates should be soft enough to collapse when pressed with a spoon; if not, add a little of the remaining coffee to get the right consistency. Using an immersion blender or potato masher, roughly purée dates to an applesauce consistency. (For more of a visual presence and additional fruity chew, leave dates slightly coarse.)
Reduce stand mixer speed to low. Stir in date mixture, then flour mixture. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Knock pan against the counter once or twice to release any large pockets of air and help batter settle into the nooks of the pan.
Bake until cake is puffed, centre springs back when touched and a skewer inserted into centre comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it, 50 to 55 min. Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 10 min, then invert cake onto rack to cool for 10 more min.
Sauce: Meanwhile, combine 3⁄4 cup brown sugar with cream, 1⁄2 cup butter, coffee liqueur, 1 tsp vanilla-bean paste and 1⁄2 tsp salt in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-low. Bring to a boil, swirling saucepan often, until sauce is thickened, 6 to 8 min.
Brush sides of warm cake with a thin layer of toffee sauce. After sauce has been absorbed, about 5 min, apply a second layer of sauce. Let cake and sauce cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce until needed.
Cake will keep at room temperature for 1 day in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic, or it can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Serve with warmed sauce and custard, ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.