Date Cranberry Spiced Cake

A date cake packed with cranberries, spiced with cinnamon powder and covered with a cream cheese frosting. The cake has been in my family for years; memories came flooding back while baking it. It made me feel young again. As a kid, the most interesting part of the cake was licking some of the cream cheese frosting from the bowl and mom would give me a stern look and say: “Wait until I decorate the cake”. So apart from being delicious, the cake brings back fond memories! I even remember the awesome smell coming from the kitchen and the hard time waiting desperately for the cake to cool down!

The cake isgood on its own, but I still preferit smothered with the lazy cream cheese frosting! Oh yes!! It is good with a cup of tea!!

The cake keeps well for several days. Just keep it covered at room temperature and spread the cream cheese frosting just upon serving!

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups cake flour
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cup dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 400 g/14 oz. cream cheese
• 11/3 cups icing sugar
• 80 g. 1/3 cup butter, room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Place sugar, oil and vanilla in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, beat for one minute.
4. Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 1 minute.
5. Add the chopped dates, walnuts and cranberries. Mix well and make sure the ingredients are incorporated.
6. Fold in the flour mixture and stir well to fully incorporate.
7. Grease a 30 cm/ 12 inches round baking cake tin with a teaspoon of butter, then lightly coat all sides with some flour.
8. Transfer the cake batter to the greased coated tin.
9. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven. Set aside for 15 minutes to slightly cool down.
11. Carefully invert onto a flat serving dish.

To prepare the frosting:

1. Place the icing sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.
2. Add the butter and beat for another minute to obtain a smooth frosting.
3. When the cake has completely cooled down, spread the frosting on the surface of the cake. The cake can be decorated with walnut halves. Enjoy!

You might als enjoy ourBANANA AND DATE BREAD WITH TAHINI AND CAROB MOLASSES

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