Date and Pecan Cake
Makes 1 large 25cm cake
Ingredients
- 320ml butter
- 250ml sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 500ml self raising flour
- 10ml ground cinnamon
- 10ml grated nutmeg
- 125ml full cream milk
- 125ml fresh orange juice
- 250ml chopped dates
- 200ml chopped pecan nuts
- 50ml cake flour
- Cream cheese frosting
- 100ml butter, at room temperature
- 500ml icing sugar, sifted
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 50ml honey, to drizzle
- Pecan nuts, to garnish
Here’s how:
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
- Grease and line a 25cm round cake tin.
- Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Gradually add the sugar and continue beating the butter until light and fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time with a teaspoon of flour and beat well after each addition.
- Beat the flour in gradually, alternating with the milk and fresh orange juice.
- Mix the chopped dates with pecan nuts and 50ml cake flour.
- Gently fold the dates and pecans into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for an hour or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Turn the cake out on a wire rack and leave to cool.
To prepare the frosting:
- Cream the butter until light in colour.
- Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and beat on a low setting.
- When all the icing sugar has been added, add the mascarpone cheese.
- Continue beating until well combined.
- Use a palette knife to spread the frosting over the cake.
- Drizzle the honey over the cake and garnish with pecans.