INGREDIENTS
1 cup of dates
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup of raisins and black currants
½ cup of hazelnuts
1½ cups of sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of cardamom
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
¼ cup of canola oil (non-smelly cooking oil)
1 stick of room-temperature unsalted butter
¼ cup of sourcream
Zest of 1 big orange
Zest of 2 limes
RECIPE
1. Soak the dates overnight in warm water. Next day, grind it to a fine paste with very little water. Keep aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit)
3. Butter an 8” round cake tin.
4. Sift all the dry ingredients together.
5. Put the raisins, currants and hazelnuts in a bowl and add a tablespoon of flour to it and mix with a spoon, keep aside. (this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake batter when mixing and baking).
6. Cream the butter and sugar together.
7. Add the zests of orange and lime, mix well.
8. Add the date paste, oil and sourcream to the above and whisk everything is mixed well together.
9. Add the dry ingredients little by little and keep whisking till it becomes a smooth batter.
10. Fold in the raisins, currants, nuts with a spatula gently. Do not overmix.
11. Pour the cake batter into the cake tin.
12. Place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.
13. Test it with a skewer to see if it is fully done. If the skewer does not come out clean, bake for an additional 10 minutes.
14. Take out the cake and place it on a rack and allow it to cool completely.
15. Cut it into wedges and put it on a serving platter with finely sliced oranges.
DRIZZLE
1. Take a cup of confectioners’ sugar.
2. Add ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
3. In a separate cup squeeze the juice of the orange and 2 limes and mix well.
4. Add the citrus juice to the sugar-cinnamon mix very slowly and whisk well to make it to a dropping consistency.
5. Drizzle the icing on the wedges just before serving.
