Date Cake Delicious

Recipe from "Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club"

Adapted by Kim Severson

Date Cake Delicious
Eva L. Baughman for The New York Times
Total Time
90 minutes
Rating
4(232)
Comments
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The women of the Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club in Wichita, Kan., have been preparing lunches for each other since 1891. Originally conceived as a way to improve the domestic arts in a fast-growing prairie town, the club has become a repository for more than 124 years of cooking trends and recipes. In 1922, the club published a cookbook. This recipe was adapted from it, updated only to give more precise measurements and cooking times. It has more fruit than a typical date-nut bread and takes nearly an hour to bake. The good news is that you can mix it up quickly. —Kim Severson

Featured in: A Cooking Club That’s 124 Years Old and Counting

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Ingredients

Yield:2 loaves
  • Butter, for greasing pan
  • 3¼cup/454 grams flour, sifted, plus additional for dusting pan
  • 2cups/340 grams pitted dates, each date cut into three pieces
  • 1tablespoon shortening
  • 1cup sugar
  • 1egg, beaten
  • 1½teaspoons baking powder
  • 1teaspoon baking soda
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • ½teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1cup chopped pecans or other nuts
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

326 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 200 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 6-cup (8-by-4-inch) loaf pans; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a mixing bowl, combine the dates, shortening and 1½ cups boiling water. Set aside to cool, stirring frequently. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and egg; whisk to combine. Add to the date mixture and stir well until combined.

  3. Step 3

    In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Add the date and sugar mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in the nuts.

  4. Step 4

    Divide batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, being careful not to overbake; 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on a rack.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
232 user ratings
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Comments

Fran B.

I think there's a mistake in the recipe--- no way for two loaves of any kind of quick bread would you use only 1 T of shortening! Probably meant to be a Cup, at least!

Barbara

Did you use only one tablespoon shortening as directed? The comment below yours suggested it was insufficient. Please help. Thanks.

Ruth

Easy and delicious. I took the loafs out at 50 minutes and think they might have been done at 45. As the headline says: almost a cake.

Jeanne Collins

This cake (a loaf, really) is delicious, and not real sweet. Sometimes the old recipes truly ARE the best! And because the recipe makes 2 loaves, you automatically have one to gift!

Mona

Absolutely delicious! Followed suggestions by putting half the sugar and double the shortening. Perfect!

Linda

Super dry. I will never make this recipe again.

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Credits

Adapted from the 1922 Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club Cookbook, Wichita, Kan.

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