Naturally sweetened and bursting with moisture and dripping with vegan salted caramel sauce this date cake is the perfect baked good to bring to a potluck or even enjoy at home throughout the week as a guilt-free dessert.
Ingredients
For the date cake
16 medium-sized pitted dates (about ½ cup tightly packed OR 135 g)
¼ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup coconut sugar (65 g)
½ tsp pure vanilla powder OR 1 tsp liquid vanilla extract
¼ cup mashed banana (75 g)
¾ cup almond milk (180 ml)
1 cup all-purpose flour (146 g)
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped (35 g)
For the salted caramel sauce
1 can of full cream coconut milk
½ cup coconut sugar (65 g)
½ tsp pure vanilla powder OR 1 tsp liquid vanilla extract
¼ tsp sea salt (or more as desired)
Toppings (optiona)
Chopped walnuts or pecan nuts
Chocolate chips
Coconut chips
Instructions
For the date cake
Start by soaking the dates in warm water for at least 2-4 hours to soften (if you have a high-speed blender, you can skip this step).
Preheat your oven to 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4 and lightly grease an 8-inch baking pan with some coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
To a blender, add the almond milk, dates, coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla and mashed banana and blend until smooth - the mixture should look like a thick caramel sauce. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl using a spatula to scrape the sides of the blender.
In another medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and pinch of salt, whisking together until well-mixed.
Add in the flour mixture to the wet mixture a little at a time, using a whisk to mix until everything is well-incorporated and there are no large lumps - careful not to over mix!
Fold in your chopped walnuts using a small spatula
Transfer the mixture into your cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle comes out clean
Allow to cool before pouring on the sauce and toppings
For the salted caramel sauce
While the cake is baking, prepare your salted caramel sauce. To a medium pot, add in the coconut milk, coconut sugar, vanilla and sea salt, whisking well to combine.
Bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to low-medium heat, allowing it to simmer for 12-15 minutes until thickened. Be sure to stir frequently and keep a close eye to ensure it doesn't overflow as it can boil over very easily.
Recipe by One Arab Vegan at https://www.onearabvegan.com/2018/06/salted-caramel-date-cake/